Australia repeals landmark carbon tax

Australia' Lake Hume in drought in a 2007 photo (Credit: Tim J Keegan, via Flickr)

In a landmark decision, Australia’s government repealed a levy that limited fossil-fuel pollution, making it the first country to revoke its climate change mitigation plan, Bloomberg reported.

Under governance of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Australia’s Parliament approved an appeal to end the levy that required approximately 300 companies to pay a tax on their carbon dioxide emissions. In place of the carbon tax, Abbott has proposed a program that would reward companies who voluntarily lower their emissions, although support for the program has not been established.

In 2009, Abbott referred to climate science as “absolute crap” and approved controversial dredging in the Great Barrier Reef. Australia is the largest carbon polluter per capita among industrial nations.

Image: Australia’ Lake Hume in drought in a 2007 photo (Credit: Tim J Keegan, via Flickr)