The Wire

The Government has bowed to political and industry pressure to split the renewable energies target from the defeated Emissions Trading Scheme. The Opposition supports the Government’s target for renewables to provide 20 percent of the nation’s electricity by 2020, but several Coalition Senators say they’ll block the bill if further concessions aren’t given to the aluminum industry. Mark Wakeham, Campaigns Director from Environment Victoria, says aside from the ‘political football’ being played with climate legislation by the major parties – the renewable energies bill contains key problems in its design.