The Concept Economics report, conducted by former ABARE executive director Brian Fisher and backed by the Minerals Council of Australia and the Queensland Resources Council, estimates the emissions trading scheme will result in the loss of 23,510 direct jobs across Australia’s minerals industry by 2020 and 66,480 by 2030.
Queensland will be hardest hit with an estimated 11,440 jobs lost by 2020, while New South Wales is expected to lose 4260 jobs.
“The scheme represents the worst of both worlds. By imposing the world’s highest carbon costs on Australia’s minerals exporters, it will destroy jobs in our most important industries without delivering any appreciable reduction in global emissions,” MCA chief executive officer Mitchell Hooke said.
“We share the government’s commitment to reducing emissions, but this modelling shows the CPRS is fundamentally flawed,” he said.
QRC chief executive Michael Roche said there was not a major mining or minerals processing activity in Queensland that would not be significantly worse off in 10 and 20 years time under the emissions trading scheme.
“One simple change to the CPRS would deliver a cap-and-trade emissions reductions scheme without the job-destroying impact of the current design,” Hooke said.
“It should include a phased approach to emissions trading – with the number of carbon permits auctioned increasing over time.”
“The simple message of this report is that the CPRS will result in a transfer of coal output from Queensland to countries such as Indonesia, South Africa and Colombia without an appreciable reduction in global emissions.”