Power bills up 30pc in carbon scheme: Flannery


Scientist and Australian of the Year Tim Flannery says Australians may need to pay up to 30 per cent more for energy under an effective carbon emissions trading scheme.
The Prime Ministerial Task Force on Emissions Trading will next week hand down a report that is predicted to recommend a nationwide carbon trading scheme.
Professor Flannery has told ABC TV's Lateline a sufficiently high price for carbon is needed, even though it would increase energy bills.
"The bill that you and I pay might go up by 30 per cent, which sounds like a lot," he said.
"But if you and I can't make efficiency gains of 30 per cent in our house, there's something wrong. We all waste a lot of electricity and I have no doubt most of us can make those sort of cuts."
He says a carbon emissions trading scheme would not hurt the Australian economy because business and households can adjust to higher prices.
"I'd like to see a sufficiently high price for carbon to allow us to move as quickly as we can to a low-emissions economy," he said.
"What we've got to keep in mind is all of the science suggests we're approaching a dangerous threshold in climate change and we've got to keep our emissions low on a global basis.
"Australia has to play a part in that."
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