Australia looks into mandatory emissions standards

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG), made up of the Prime Minister, State Premiers, Territory Chief Ministers and the President of the Australian Local Government Association, has agreed to study the pros and cons of both mandatory and voluntary compliance for car emissions standards in the country. They added that any move by the government to impose standards should be in accordance with the State and Federal Governments’ emissions trading scheme and the country’s Green Car Innovation Fund, which subsidizes projects by Australian companies developing technologies that will reduce cars’ fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. (July 3, 2009)