The govt refuses to release its modelling on how heavily industry will rely on offsets under the safeguard mechanism. Seems reasonable for @sarahinthesen8 to ask "If the government cannot give us that information...how on earth are we expected to vote in support of this?" #auspol
@sarahinthesen8 The govt doesn't expect the price of offsets to get above $75 (the arbitrary cap price). @DavidPocock points out that a business with a $96 carbon price will buy as many low priced offsets as it can. [Woodside has an internal carbon price of US$80 btw] #auspol #climate
@sarahinthesen8 Public execs basically tell the senator to go and google how much industry will be relying on offsets b/c others have done modelling...apparently they say industry will be relying on offsets for anywhere from 25%-75% of their emissions...so 'it will be somewhere in that range'.
@pollyjhemming @sarahinthesen8 Is there more, what was the reply?
@pollyjhemming @sarahinthesen8 I think @AustralianLabor promised better transparency than previous government? Is this right, @AlboMP ?
@pollyjhemming @sarahinthesen8 Offsets are a confidence trick. Even if they did work, which they don't, they could never be guaranteed. For example, you have a forest left uncut as carbon storage and it gets a lightning strike & burns. Then the carbon goes into the atmosphere & doubles the mine's emissions.
@pollyjhemming @sarahinthesen8 This is key. The ALP sold the story of a 43% reduction in emissions by 2030. It's completely different to INCREASE our emissions then offset 100s of MtCO2.
@pollyjhemming @sarahinthesen8 Fair enough. If you can provide no evidence then any claim is meaningless. Evidence driven policy is not negotiable.
@pollyjhemming @sarahinthesen8 just as with the Voice the devil is in the detail
@pollyjhemming @sarahinthesen8 ‘Refusing to release its modelling’ sure rings alarm bells.