Report plots polluters against improvement
A new report has named Australia’s top 10 polluters, and unsurprisingly, they do not appear to like renewable energy.
A new report commissioned by the Australian Conservation Foundation says Australia’s top 10 carbon-emitters consist of seven energy companies and three miners.
At least eight of these companies have publicly pushed for Australia’s Renewable Energy Target to be heavily reduced or scrapped entirely.
Most appear to acknowledge climate change is a problem, but say they cannot do anything about it amid high costs and excess energy in the system.
Negotiations continue over how much will be cut from the current target.
ACF president Geoff Cousins says the government is ignoring the will of the Australian public in favour of favouring big polluters.
“It looks a lot like energy and climate politics in Australia are being dictated by the companies and industries that are causing much of the problem,” he said.
The top polluters, according to 2013-14 figures gathered from information provided to the government body Clean Energy Regulator, are as follows;
- EnergyAustralia
- Macquarie Generation
- AGL Energy
- Rio Tinto
- GDF Suez Australian Energy
- Stanwell Corporation
- Alcoa Australian Holdings
- Origin Energy
- CS Energy
- Woodside Petroleum