Australian PM delays emissions trading scheme

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard reaffirmed on Friday a delay in introducing a price for carbon pollution, angering environmentalists, scientists and business ahead of her bid to secure re-election.

Gillard on Friday announced Labor Party's plan to tackle climate change included improvements to the electricity grid, a requirement for all new coal-fired power stations to have tougher emissions standards, growth in the renewable energy sector and a Citizens Assembly to work towards community consensus.

Gillard said an emission trading scheme was essential to reduce carbon emissions, but no decision would be made until a new Citizen's Assembly canvassed community views for the next 12 months.

"Australians have real concerns about making changes that are this big and they need more information," she told Australian Associated Press in Brisbane. "They are concerned about the impact on jobs and the impact on the prices of goods and services that they rely on, especially electricity."

Economics professor Warwick McKibbin, a board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia, said Labor's climate policy was " extremely disappointing" and delayed action purely for "political advantage".


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