The Australian Greens are calling on Australia's climate scientists to give evidence to a new Senate Inquiry into emissions trading that will be established today following agreement with the Opposition.

Today's release of the Government's draft emissions trading legislation coincides with the opening of a global climate science congress in Copenhagen. The Senate Inquiry to be established following today's agreement will give Australia's scientists, including those who are attending that congress, the opportunity to report on the adequacy of the Rudd Government's proposed emissions reduction target.

"The Senate will now have an opportunity to properly examine the critical issues that surround the Government's emissions trading plans," said Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne.

The Inquiry, to be conducted by a new Senate Select Committee on Climate Policy and reporting back on May 14, will examine the choice of emissions trading as a mechanism, the relative contributions of complementary measures to emissions reductions, the environmental effectiveness of the proposed targets and whether the scheme would appropriately transform the economy.

"Climate change is not like so many other issues which can be negotiated and compromised when they come before the Parliament. You cannot negotiate with the laws of physics and chemistry.

"Either Australia chooses to work towards a target that is scientifically valid and will help avoid climate catastrophe, or we choose to put ourselves at unacceptable risk.

"Australia's climate scientists have been remarkably reticent to publicly criticise what they have in private slammed as a totally unacceptable and inadequate target.

"As the scientists well know, there is such a thing as being too late. Now is the time for them to come before the Senate and explain what a scientifically adequate target would be for Australia.

"The Greens' reading of the science tells us that Australia needs to work fast to build a net zero emissions economy, and certainly no later than 2050, with cuts of at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2020.

"We believe that, if we aim for that transformation, we can achieve it, creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs along the way. If we do not try, we have no chance of success."
 
Terms of reference
(1) That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on Climate Policy, be established to inquire into and report by 14 May 2009 on:
a) The choice of emissions trading as the central policy to reduce Australia's carbon pollution, taking into account the need to:
i. reduce carbon pollution at the lowest economic cost;
ii. put in place long-term incentives for investment in clean energy and low-emission technology; and
iii. contribute to a global solution to climate change.
b) The relative contributions to overall emission reduction targets from complementary measures such as renewable energy feed-in laws, energy efficiency and the protection or development of terrestrial carbon stores such as native forests and soils;
c) Whether the government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) is environmentally effective, in particular with regard to the adequacy or otherwise of the Government's 2020 and 2050 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in avoiding dangerous climate change;
d) An appropriate mechanism for determining what a fair and equitable contribution to the global emission reduction effort would be;
e) Whether the design of the proposed scheme will send appropriate investment signals for green collar jobs, research and development, and the manufacturing and service industries, taking into account permit allocation, leakage, compensation mechanisms and additionality issues; and,
f) Any related matter.

(2) That the committee consist of 10 senators, 4 nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, 4 nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, 1 nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens and 1 nominated by the independent senators.
(3) That:
a) participating members may be appointed to the committee on the nomination of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate or any minority party or independent senator;
b) participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee; and
c) a participating member shall be taken to be a member of the committee for the purpose of forming a quorum of the committee if a majority of members of the committee is not present.

(4) That the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that all members have not been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy.
(5) That the committee elect as chair one of the members nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and, as deputy chair, a member nominated by the Australian Greens.
(6) That the deputy chair shall act as chair when the chair is absent from a meeting of the committee or the position of chair is temporarily vacant.
(7) That the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, may appoint another member of the committee to act as chair during the temporary absence of both the chair and the deputy chair at a meeting of the committee.
(8) That, in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, has a casting vote.
(9) That the committee have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of 3 or more of its members, and to refer to any such subcommittee any of the matters which the committee is empowered to examine.
(10) That the committee and any subcommittee have power to send for and examine persons and documents, to move from place to place, to sit in public or in private, notwithstanding any prorogation of the Parliament or dissolution of the House of Representatives, and have leave to report from time to time its proceedings, the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit.
(11) That the committee be provided with all necessary staff, facilities and resources and be empowered to appoint persons with specialist knowledge for the purposes of the committee with the approval of the President.
(12) That the committee be empowered to print from day to day such papers and evidence as may be ordered by it, and a daily Hansard be published of such proceedings as take place in public.