Last week the Australian government passed the Clean Energy Bill 2011, legislation that establishes a carbon tax and signals potential cost implications for the agriculture industry.
Cotton Australia’s Policy Officer Angela Bradburn attended the Australian Farm Institute’s Agricultural Roundtable Conference this past week to represent the industry and voice its views on the carbon tax.
The work of the Australian Farm Institute (AFI) has been important in helping agricultural industries understand potential cost implications of the government’s carbon tax policy and also how carbon farming and carbon markets may work in agriculture, according to Cotton Australia’s newsletter.
Earlier in the year, AFI conducted a report, funded by Cotton Australia, on potential impacts of a carbon tax on cotton businesses. This helped to develop two information documents for the industry on these topics, the organization said.
Cotton Australia is a member of the National Farmers’ Federation and works with the organization on this policy area. Concerned about how the carbon tax will affect farmers and threaten competition, the NFF said it will aim to minimize risks and impacts for farmers. For example, the organization said it will attempt to keep the agricultural and heavy vehicle fuel out of the tax and seek “opportunities and benefits” for the sector, according to the newsletter.
The government’s carbon pricing system will begin on July 1, 2012 with a $23-per-tonne carbon tax on the 500 biggest carbon emitters, according to Cotton Australia. The tax will then move toward a market-driven emissions trading scheme in 2015.
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