Via Domainfax on the Coalition’s climate change self-flagellation:
…The policy ructions did not go unnoticed at a meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade in Brussels, where the EU’s chief negotiator on the deal, Helena König, faced angry questions from the floor over Australia’s commitment to climate action.
…In a video of this week’s proceedings, Ms König told the committee that “it’s the [European] Commission’s position … that we are talking about respect and full implementation of the Paris agreement [as part of the trade deal]”.
“No doubt we will see what comes out in the text [of the deal agreement] but that I expect to be the minimum in the text, for sure.”
Her assertion is a clear signal that any failure by Australia to meet its international climate obligations would have serious economic consequences.
In short there’ll be no free trade agreement without Paris commitment.
This is the thin end of the wedge. As climate change advances and worsens much faster than most people expect, these kinds of sanctions will intensify. The EU is Australia’s third largest export market and largest foreign investor.
Such is the false economics of not dealing with emissions reduction.
