Australia is a good case study for the way in which climate change policy is reaching a major decision point brought on by COP 15. After a decade of difficulty at a national level - with a pragmatic Prime Minister eventually supporting an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) - the Rudd Labor government is forcing a vote in Parliament on a proposed Bill this week.
And all hell has broken loose!
The rural-based conservative National Party doesn't want to vote for it (even though it is likely that agriculture will be excluded forever from the scheme) and their coalition partners, the Liberal Party, are close to splitting on the issue because of the resurgence of climate sceptics. The Greens don't think it goes far enough, rewards current "polluters" and are therefore pushing that it "locks in failure".
The Rudd government has stated that it wants the ETS to be passed before COP 15 - the rationale is that this will give Australia greater potential for influence and encourage others to deal. But the added chaos in the opposition ranks is a pretty nice bonus as well.
