business consortium backs carbon tax

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/14102789/business-consortium-backs-carbon-tax/

"Almost 300 businesses including Westpac, AGL, Unilever and GE have signed a joint statement backing a price on carbon.

The $23 per tonne price on carbon emissions started yesterday, impacting directly on 294 electricity generators and other companies.

The federal government is aiming to cut carbon emissions by five per cent by 2020, with the carbon tax shifting to an emissions trading scheme in 2015.

The Businesses for Clean Energy consortium members say a carbon price will underpin the move to a clean economy.

Consortium spokesman Nathan Fabian told AAP there was strong support in the business community for carbon pricing, but the coalition's commitment to abolish it was creating uncertainty.

"Businesses have accepted there will have to be some sort of price constraint on carbon," Mr Fabian said.

"It's true there is uncertainty and that does make the job more difficult and makes the next couple of years a challenging time to do business.

"We hope they will reconsider this issue. We think it's important to the competitiveness and business opportunities available for the Australian economy and Australian companies."