The Printing Industries CEOs Lunch, featured a presentation by Peter Anderson, chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry – and also a member of the government’s Business Round Table on Climate Change – who defined the issues of carbon and tax, and gave an update on the government’s current thinking.

Anderson says, “While the Carbon Tax issue is highly political, a great disservice is done to the issue by the oversimplification which characterises political debate. In this instance, this has led to a most unfortunate view that to be opposed to the tax equates to being opposed to the sustainability agenda – a view which is simply not true.

“Many manufacturing businesses, and printers are a great example, are strongly committed to sustainability, not just from an ideological viewpoint but because it makes sense on an economic basis, driving stronger business and meeting commercial imperatives.”

While a carbon tax remains the Gillard government’s key policy for tackling climate change, Anderson reported that the business community believes the mechanism is flawed and is also most concerned about the timing proposed for implementation.

He explains by structuring it as a tax, at least until a proper global emissions trading scheme is implemented, means it is a policy likely to collect revenue rather than drive behavioural change, making it unlikely to achieve the latter objective.

He says, “Trying to bring about a faster rate of change to our behaviour and methods of production is not a silly idea. The motivation is right – but the mechanism and the timing are both open to debate and, I believe, are significantly flawed.”

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