Energy White Paper 2012 — what does it mean for the environment?

Key Points:

In assessing whether the Energy White Paper's policies have transformed Australia to a clean energy economy, the principal focus will be on the policies of the Carbon Pricing Mechanism and the Renewable Energy Target

In October 2012, the Australian Government published its Energy White Paper,¹ setting out the Government's intended policy framework to guide the transformation of Australia's energy and energy resource sectors. In many respects, the Energy White Paper is concerned with pricing, competition and market regulation. But to what extent are its policies concerned with achieving environmental objectives?

Objectives of the Energy White Paper

The key objectives of the Energy White Paper are: