Greenfleet - The Climate Institute debunks climate myths

12 September 2011

The Climate Institute debunks climate myths

We've all heard the sceptics' scare campaigns and their incorrect and confusing comments forecasting doom and gloom if a carbon price is introduced. Well now it's time for some simple truths.

With the Clean Energy Future legislation set for debate in federal parliament, the Climate Institute has contacted all 225 Members of Parliament to help set the record straight. You can help too by passing the message on to your own friends, family, colleagues, local businesses, etc.

Here's a quick summary - or you can get more detail from the Climate Institute's website.

MYTH #1: Australia is not a significant polluter so there is no need for us to act.

FACT: Australia is the world's 15th largest total emitter and has the highest amount of emissions per person among the major polluters. Whilst Australia accounts for around 1.5 per cent of global emissions, our total pollution levels are comparable to those of Mexico, United Kingdom, South Korea, Italy, France and the Ukraine. This is despite the fact all of these nations have populations at least twice that of Australia.

MYTH #2: A price on pollution will not do anything to help the environment.

FACT: A price on pollution will make new cleaner energy technologies relatively cheaper than older dirtier sources. As products and services made from cleaner energy sources become cheaper, businesses and households will change their investment and purchasing decisions to save money, meaning the Australian economy will increasingly rely on cleaner energy sources like gas, solar and wind. Over time, this will decrease the amount of carbon pollution Australia produces. Combined with the action of other countries this can help avoid accelerating climate change.

MYTH #3: A pollution price will see the demise of mining and other sectors. There will be massive job losses.

FACT: Pollution reduction and jobs growth are not mutually exclusive. All credible studies show strong employment growth under a pollution price and in the transition to a low carbon economy. It's estimated we'll see an additional 1.6 million jobs between now and 2020 whilst cutting pollution by at least 159 million tonnes. Even the coal industry is expected to see between 10,000-16,000 new mining jobs above 2008 levels.

MYTH#4: Other countries aren't acting so why should Australia move ahead of the rest of the world?

FACT: All major economies are acting on climate change, driving clean energy investment and developing new green industries. There is absolutely no risk of Australia moving ahead of the rest of the world; the far greater risk is that Australia gets left behind.

MYTH #5: If you have a pollution price then you don't need other clean energy measures.

FACT: A pollution price is central to how we begin to effectively address carbon pollution levels; however, it's not the only policy measure we need to undertake. Complementary policies, that drive renewable energy development, promote energy efficiency and promote farm sector solutions, also need to be an important part of Australia's holistic and lower cost response to climate change.