Impact of an emissions trading scheme on low-income households
Putting a price on carbon pollution through carbon emissions trading is an important way to encourage society to reduce its use of carbon-based energy, such as petrol and energy generated by coal-fired power stations. However, because the financial impact will fall disproportionately on disadvantaged people, the Brotherhood of St Laurence believes it must be accompanied by measures to protect the living standards of poorer households and help them reduce their carbon emissions.
Events
Emissions Trading Scheme and Low Income Households Roundtable
11 April 2008
The Brotherhood of St Laurence hosted the Emissions Trading Scheme Roundtable, which brought together key stakeholders from the Department of Climate Change, the Garnaut Climate Change Review, the Climate Institute, Origin Energy, Cambiar, the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, St Vincent de Paul and others.
Media releases
CPRS compensation: good start but more action needed 15 December 2008
Carbon emissions trading scheme must be fair to work, says Garnaut 14 November 2008
Brotherhood welcomes Treasury modelling on climate change 30 October 2008
Safeguards for poor welcomed in carbon emissions Green Paper 16 July 2008
Garnaut a good first step but early government investment needed for low income households 4 July 2008
Poor households’ carbon bill: all about location 27 April 2008
Garnaut on right track: auctioning carbon permits will help protect poor 20 March 2008
Response to Garnaut interim report: fair go for disadvantaged on climate change measures 21 February 2008
National research shows impact on poor of climate change 16 June 2007
Policy submissions
Submission to the National Emissions Trading Taskforce Secretariat June 2007 (PDF file, 297 KB)
Submission to the Prime Ministerial Task Group on Emissions Trading prepared jointly by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, Catholic Social Services Australia and the National Welfare Rights Network, April 2007 (PDF file, 378 KB)
Articles, reports and papers
Damian Sullivan 2008, Distributional impacts of an emissions trading scheme on low-income households presentation to forum 'Emissions trading in Australia – allocation challenges’, University of New South Wales, 1 September 2008 (PDF file, 598 KB)
Bill Unkles and Janet Stanley 2008, Carbon use in poor Victorian households by local government area (PDF file, 409 KB)
Justin Sherrard and Alan Tate 2008, A national Emissions Trading Scheme and low income households, discussion paper prepared for the Brotherhood of St Laurence roundtable, 11 April 2008 (PDF file, 600 KB)
National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) 2007, The impact of carbon prices on Victorian and Australian households, prepared for the Brotherhood of St Laurence, May 2007 (PDF file, 319 KB)
Go to research in progress about climate change.