Isra-Mart srl: AUSTRALIA NOT ACTING ALONE OR AHEAD OF OTHER COUNTRIES IN CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION

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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard issued the following press release:

The Federal Government today released new reports that clearly show Australia is not acting alone or ahead of other countries when it comes to action on climate change.

Fact sheets prepared by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency show many countries, including all the major emitters, are acting now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The fact sheets show a broad range of countries have introduced or are planning market based emissions trading schemes and carbon taxes.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet released the fact sheets today, which confirm Australia is one of the world's top 20 polluters.

We release more pollution per person than any other country in the developed world.

It is yet further evidence confirming we have a national and global responsibility to act.

The fact sheets show the Gillard Labor Government's move to put a price on carbon follows similar steps in many countries, with others planning or in the process of introducing similar arrangements.

For example, Australia's top five trading partners-China, Japan, the United States, the Republic of Korea and India and another six of our top twenty trading partners have implemented or are piloting carbon trading or taxation schemes.

The European Union has had an emissions trading scheme since 2005, which covers half a billion people.

China has announced it will introduce emissions trading progressively in a number of key cities and provinces, including Beijing and Shanghai, which cover more than 100 million people.

These fact sheets set the record straight on the level of international action on climate change and where Australia is positioned in comparison.

Australia is not going it alone on climate change - we are taking the right steps along with many other countries to protect the planet for generations to come.

The fact sheets also support last week's findings from the Productivity Commission confirming the world is increasingly acting on climate change and that a carbon price is the lowest-cost way to cut pollution.

These reports also highlight that far from striking out on its own, Australia risks falling behind the rest of the world if we fail to put a price on pollution.

The fact sheets also point to the high levels of investment internationally in clean and renewable energy.

For example, India has a clean energy tax on coal that will raise more than half a billion dollars of revenue for clean technology development in its first 12 months.

In 2010, global investment in the clean energy sector totalled US$243 billion, including $54.4 billion in China and $34 billion in the US.

The Gillard Government is committed to maximising the opportunities that come from moving to a clean energy future.

Introducing a carbon price in Australia will make dirty energy more expensive and clean energy like solar, gas and wind cheaper.

The carbon price will apply to less than 1,000 big polluters, requiring them to pay for every tonne of carbon pollution that they emit.

This is the most effective and cheapest way for us to build a clean energy economy and protect our precious natural environment for future generations.