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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Environment
Adam Morton

The safeguard mechanism: Australia’s emissions trading scheme in all but name

Anthony Albanese during the federal election campaign in May
‘Labor decided there could be a point and has promised to transform the safeguard mechanism into something that actually cuts pollution.’ Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Climate policy can sometimes seem like it is being spoken in a different language. Take the issue of the moment in Australia: the safeguard mechanism.

For people deeply embedded in the mechanics of how governments plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the safeguard mechanism has become a reasonably familiar subject since it was introduced by the Coalition six years ago – even though the Morrison government and its predecessors didn’t like to talk about it much.

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