The Greens founder has accused the Australian Conservation Foundation of being a Labor-backed lobby group.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has warned Australia’s carbon footprint will blow out by 20 per cent if the minor party blocks his bill in parliament.
The Commonwealth’s former top energy adviser has called for the Greens to back Labor’s safeguard mechanism,stressing the urgency for polluters to start cutting emissions.
The government has just three parliamentary sitting weeks left to legislate its climate policy to achieve its 43 per cent emissions reduction target by the end of the decade.
A national brawl is brewing over how to fix the eastern states’ lack of gas supply for the energy grid.
East coast residents will be hit with huge electricity bill increases as authorities warn that dwindling gas supplies could plunge the market deeper into turmoil.
Government intervention in the coal and gas markets has slowed price rises,but households can still expect prices to go up another 23 per cent.
Trade Minister Don Farrell is confident of meeting with his Chinese counterpart soon,as Australia seeks an expanded trade deal with India this year.
The federal government is refusing the Greens’ demand for a veto on fossil fuel projects to be built into the safeguard mechanism.
Farmers say the safeguard mechanism needs to limit carbon offsets,or polluters could buy up valuable farmland for carbon abatement projects and put small farmers out of business.
Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has rejected demands to ban new coal and gas projects as debate intensifies over proposed emissions reduction legislation.