Essay by Eric Worrall
The Sydney Morning Herald has accused Australia of siding with Russia, China, Brazil and Saudi Arabia in scrapping a Pacific Islands proposal for a $100 per tonne carbon tax on maritime shipping emissions .
Australia is siding with China and Russia to thwart the Pacific States’ climate plan
From Nick O’Malley
July 3, 2023 – 5:00 am
London: Australia has come under fire for siding with China and Russia in opposing a popular plan by a group of Pacific island nations to tackle the shipping industry’s carbon emissions.
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An ambitious proposal, conceived and supported by Pacific island nations, including the Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands, which fly their flag through one of the largest fleets of ships in the world, would introduce a US$100 per tonne levy on maritime emissions, to make cleaner fuels cost-competitive with the dirtier heavy fuel oil that is the industry standard.
But The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, speaking to three sources present in closed preliminary talks, said opposition to the proposal was growing tougher in a group of about 20 nations including China, Russia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Australia had become. This imprint has seen documents confirming their accounts.
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Although Australia has expressed support for aligning the industry with the Paris Agreement’s climate targets to limit warming to 1.5 degrees, the sources said it remains opposed to the proposed shipping levy by Pacific states. Alternative proposals could also be discussed and it is not clear which, if any, Australia could support.
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Read more: https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/australia-sides-with-china-russia-in-bid-to-sink-pacific-nations-climate-plan-20230630- p5dky1.html
What a surprise that countries that rely on long-distance international transport have opposed a measure that would halt international transport.
None of this would be an issue if the Greens relaxed their opposition to nuclear energy. If shipping companies were allowed to install nuclear power plants on cargo ships, there would be no tax liability for maritime emissions.
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