Introduction
It has been noted that climate change has been a major issue for Australia in 21 century. There was a report released by the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research organization) stating that the country is becoming hotter with passing days. The rainfall has decreased by 10-20% resulting into depletion of many non-renewable resources as well. Since then the government is constantly trying to negotiate with problem by initiating various reforms and policies for environmental development and manage the climatic change (ABC News 2014). Like, in 2011 the government introduced the carbon tax so that uplift the climate conditions by less recuing the carbon di oxide in the environment. As per the per capita carbon discharge, Australia was regarded on 12th place by PNAS. Even with small population the country was using resources in such a way that it showing adverse in the climate of the country (Australian Government 2017).
It is seen that climate affects the activities of the whole country, as agricultural activities are ruined resulting in inflation on food product, due to which economic instability occurs in the country. Further changes led in the country are explained below:
It was recorded that warm climate in Australia is resulting into ‘location specific vulnerability’ and is creating a severe impact on the people socially and economically. The species and habitat were getting depleted; also the biodiversity was getting affected. In conclusion it can be said that this global warming effect was distressing the state of the country economically, socially and environmentally (Australian Government 2017).
Australia was constantly getting trapped with many weather fluctuations. The climate was not predictable at all; this started getting a serious issue for the country as any day the country can get struck with tidal waves or landslide or any other problem. Thus with the aim to stop the climate fluctuation and control it, the government initiated various mitigations such as carbon tax, emission of reduction fund, Murray darling plan etc. (DENNIS 2013).
Carbon pricing scheme also known as carbon tax was introduced in 2011 under the clean energy act which came into existence from 1 July 2012. The aim of carbon tax was to reduce the hazardous and fluctuating carbon di oxide emission and decrease the loss occurring to the climate so that gradually the nature and human health is uplifted. This strategy offers the techniques to reduce the greenhouse gas emission. Carbon tax was levied on the entities which emit more than 25000 tonnes of carbon di oxide per year (Australian Government 2017). Also it does not apply to the transport or agricultural activities. Also the manufacturing firms having larger number of generators or industrial units are also subject to the tax. The clean energy regulators were defined used to publish the report of those industries pay the tax; such report was called LEPID (liable entities public information database).
It is seen that levying such tax is the best way to fight with the global warming (Department of the Environment 2017). The carbon pricing is done to cut the excessive use of carbon in industries and other sectors and to save the deletion of ozone layer. With the aid of revenue collected in the form of tax, the government uses for the purpose of environmental change only s that the country can lead to the betterment. A benchmark has been set to $23 per tonnes which the company shall if they eject more carbon than expected. Basically carbon tax can be globally called as the pollution tax as carbon is the major heat trapping greenhouse gas which is emitted by human beings. It is scientifically assumed that with the excessive emission of CO2, the ozone layer is depleting resulting to fluctuations in the environment (Hunter 2017). As the economic theory suggests it is an indirect tax, also pollution leaves a negative effect on the environment resulting into market failure and downward growth due to which tax shall be levied to compensate and control the effects caused by carbon di oxide.
The direct action plan refers to the policy implemented by the government of Australia to reduce the greenhouse gas emission made by the people. The framework of this policy is to provide incentive to the firms emitting higher rate of carbon di oxide so that they are insisted to reduce the use of it. Also it aims to reduce the cost to industry and Australian economy. Under this act the emission reduction fund shall directly support the activities which leads to reduction the gas emitted by the manufacturing units. The benefit of this act to industries that it was decided that the government will invest in the projects of the company that will reduce their emission of CO2 to the minimum (Slezak 2016).
The funds in the reserve were allocated through reverse auction starting from the project of lowest cost. This plan gave optimum number of opportunities to the country to decline the use of carbon di oxide by implementing various energy saving projects.
The plan promised many activities such as, planting twenty million trees, inaugurating solar town and solar schools, providing one million solar roofs etc. the target denied by the direct action plan is to reduce the emission of carbon di oxide by 5% till 2020. The proposed budget of this plan was $3.2 billion in total for four years. The green paper of emission reduction fund proposed that the plan shall build plans for the purpose of uplifting and building the carbon farming initiatives for reducing the carbon emission (The Carbon Major Database 2017). Under this plan the government had set aside a sum of $2.5 billion to pay to industries, communities, organizations etc. to motivate them to cut their use of carbon emission and initiate a clean and greener city.
Both direct action plan and carbon pricing are need of current era s they influence the community of emit less carbon through their activities. The critiques suggest that direct action plan can be ineffective in the state due to its badly designed functions. Initially with the entrance of labor government’s carbon tax, the companies found it difficult to expend on their management task thus incurring lose, thence the coalition government replaced the carbon tax with direct action plan and initiation providing funds to company for reduction in carbon emission activities.
At that time the government spent $1.7 billion on 143 million tonnes of emission. Since then I was exclaimed that the direct action plan does not hold stress on companies if compared with the carbon tax. The carbon tax initiated incentive scheme to the companies due to increase in prices of utilities. The researcher also claimed that this tax is not only created on an economical level but also provides a threat to companies for environmental degradation (Pears 2013).
The direct action plan led the companies to shift their focus on their activities of the company leading the top management to ignore the carbon emission. Hence it can be said that the pressure exerted by carbon tax was financially as well as emotionally more as compared with the direct action plan.
Alternatives defined by the government to cope up with the environmental degradation
The government of Australia took numerous mitigation of reduce the effects of carbon emission in the country. The carbon tax and direct action plan were the most prominent among them, while other policies are explained below:
Conclusion
Thus it can be said that the government of Australia in taking major reforms to upgrade the state of the country caused through global warming. The main reason for the climatic change is due to solar radiations, plate tectonics, volcanic eruption and the most important human activities such as emission of greenhouse gases. Thus, initiatives are taken by the government in order to sustainably and economically resolve the environmental degradation.
Reference
ABC News, 2014, What is the Coalition’s direct action climate change policy? Viewed on July 12, 2017, from, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-20/coalition-climate-change-direct-action-policy-explained/5067188
Australian Government, 2017, A Cleaner Environment, viewed on July 12, 2017, from https://www.environment.gov.au/cleaner-environment
Australian Government, 2017, Chapter 5 Australia’s policies on climate change, viewed on July 12, 2017, from https://climatechangeauthority.gov.au/reviews/targets-and-progress-review/part-b
Australian Government, 2017, REPEAL OF THE CARBON TAX?HOW THE CARBON TAX WORKS, viewed on July 12, 2017, from https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/59388d77-a9b5-4e4c-87b7-d732baf7c45b/files/factsheet-how-carbon-tax-works_1.pdf
Australian Government, 2017, Repealing the Carbon Tax, viewed on July 12, 2017, from https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/repealing-carbon-tax
DENNIS, G, BATEMAN, B, THOMAS, N, FARMER, R, CASHMERE, T, 2013, Simplicity and incentive? What the Direct Action plan means for business, viewed on July 12, 2017, from https://www.claytonutz.com/knowledge/2013/september/simplicity-and-incentive-what-the-direct-action-plan-means-for-business
Department of the Environment, 2017, The Australian Government’s action on climate change, viewed on July 12, 2017, form https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/publications/fact-sheet-australian-governments-action-climate-change
Hunter, F, 2017, Emissions intensity scheme ‘best and most appropriate’ policy, new national electricity boss says, viewed July 12, 2017, from https://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/emissions-intensity-scheme-best-and-most-appropriate-policy-new-national-electricity-boss-says-20170526-gwdz9e.html
Nielson, L, 2010, Emissions Control: your policy choices, Parliamentary Library.
Parliament of Australia, 2017, Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2014, viewed on July 12, 2017, from https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r5311
Parliament of Australia, 2017, Emissions trading, viewed on July 12, 2017, from https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Browse_by_Topic/ClimateChangeold/responses/economic/emissions/emissionstrade
Pears, A, 2013, Direct action vs carbon pricing: we can have it all, viewed on July 12, 2017, from https://theconversation.com/direct-action-vs-carbon-pricing-we-can-have-it-all-20095
Slezak, M, 2016, Australia needs two emissions trading schemes, Climate Change Authority says, viewed on July 12, 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/31/australia-needs-two-emissions-trading-schemes-climate-change-authority-says
The Carbon Major Database, 2017, CDP Carbon Majors Report 2017,viewed on 12 july 2017, from https://b8f65cb373b1b7b15feb-c70d8ead6ced550b4d987d7c03fcdd1d.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/cms/reports/documents/000/002/327/original/Carbon-Majors-Report-2017.pdf?1499691240
The New York times, 2015, The Case for a Carbon Tax, viewed on 12 July 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/opinion/the-case-for-a-carbon-tax.html
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