Decarbonisation offers Australia immense opportunities. We just need leadership | Greg Combet

I've seen the challenges of advocating credible climate policy in the face of fear, hate and hysteria. Future generations deserve far betterFrank Jotzo: Australia could become a net negative emissions economyIf a week is a long time in politics, a decade can be an eternity of lost opportunity. Ten years ago this month parliament legislated a climate policy that worked effectively for the two years it operated. It included carbon pricing that cut greenhouse gases by forcing the biggest emitters to pay for their pollution. It was socially fair, offsetting any price impacts for low- and middle-income earners. It was environmentally effective. Despite the dire warnings, the economy and employment grew as emissions fell.A decade down the track all that is in ruins. The only credible and effective climate policy Australia has had was repealed by Tony Abbott. Since then Coalition climate offerings have featured science denial, fear mongering, faux policy positions and disdain for global dialogue. Continue reading...