With the scope and design of the Federal Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) really only applying to approximately 1000 large polluting Australian businesses, it appears that the Victorian Government might be re thinking its approach to climate change mitigation and adaption.

According to the Age newspaper a high level ministerial brief to the State Government has recommended that they re-assess their key environmental policies and programs. The brief also suggested that the government only proceed with those measures that prove more cost effective than the alternatives¹.

The Greens have responded saying that any advice to scrap their environmental policies and programs could lead to the “worst possible outcome of weak climate action at every level”².  Greens Senator, Christine Milne said “if a bad emissions trading scheme leads to State Governments also cutting back on their efforts to reduce emissions, it will be more difficult to achieve the cuts we need when we finally adopt serious targets”³.

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