Greens fuel debate on emissions standards

The Australian government is delaying the introduction of mandatory carbon-dioxide emission targets for new vehicles to protect its tax revenue from petrol sales, Greens Deputy Leader Senator Christine Milne said. Australia currently has a voluntary CO2 emissions target of 222 grams per kilometer by 2010, almost double that of Europe’s mandatory target of just 120 grams per kilometer by 2015. “Australia should set stringent national fuel-efficiency standards as soon as possible to reduce fuel consumption, reduce our dependence on imported oil and drive innovation among local manufacturers,” she said. (November 21, 2009)