Australia not alone on climate change action

The federal government has released new reports that show Australia is not acting alone or ahead of other countries when it comes to action on climate change.

The fact sheets, prepared by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, 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 20 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.

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.

The international action facts sheets can be found at www.climatechange.gov.au.