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The federal government could save $14 billion by capping the fuel tax credit for large mining companies and use the funds to drive the electrification of the sector, think tank Climate Energy Finance says. The fuel tax credit scheme, which allows businesses to claim for tax paid on fuel used to power machinery and heavy vehicles, will cost taxpayers $37 billion by 2030 unless the government sets a limit on how much they can claim, a report by the think tank says. Report co-author Tim Buckley said the tax credit scheme was the nation’s largest fossil fuel subsidy and one of the biggest in the world. Read more

Fossil fuel subsidies in Australia reached $11 billion in 2022-23, extending decades of direct capital transfers and tax concessions to some of Australia’s most polluting industries and making Australia one of the G20’s largest providers of subsidies for fossil fuels. The scale of the impact to our economy is enormous. The FTCS is the largest fossil fuel subsidy in Australia and is the 18th largest government expense program in 2023-24. The federal government estimates the FTCS will cost over $9.5 billion in tax concessions in 2023-24 alone, with the credits largely going to Australia’s bulk commodity and fossil fuel mining firms. Read more

Tim Buckley says we have a ‘once-in-a-generation’ chance to pivot our economy towards industries of the future. Australia imports 29 billion litres of high emissions, inflationary diesel each year, heavily subsidised by the Federal Government, critically undermining Australia’s climate and green manufacturing ambitions. A cap to the fuel rebate scheme would create a tailwind for electrifying Australia’s mining fleet, deploying the best technology to become a world leader in embedded decarbonisation. Read more

Australia could kick start the electric truck era by curbing off-road diesel rebates that go to the mining sector, economic modelling shows. A report to be released by independent think tank Climate Energy Finance on Monday calls for the diesel fuel tax credit (FTC) for the mining sector to be capped at $50 million a year per company.”This is not a revenue grab, we’re trying to encourage them to do the right thing,” co-author Tim Buckley told AAP. He said Australia must deal with the “hyper-inflationary” dependence on imported high-emissions diesel and build onshore manufacturing. Australia needs its biggest companies to be “leaders not laggards” on electrification and emissions reduction, he said. “This is all about them having a policy tailwind to back their own strategy of decarbonisation,” he said. Read more

While the usual suspects, including the National Party, railed against the move, it has been welcomed by many in the clean energy industries, including think tank Climate Energy Finance (CEF). Its Director, Tim Buckley, said: “CEF prefers the Queensland government’s progressive royalty approach, which only applies in full less than once a decade or or even more infrequently, at times of coal export sector superprofits, but an increased share in NSW to guarantee a fairer return to public coffers is definitely a good start.” Read more

The director of the public interest think tank Climate Energy Finance, Tim Buckley, described the move as “politically courageous”. The think tank had been advocating for the introduction of a progressive coal royalty scheme, similar to what has been introduced in Queensland. Read more

Climate Energy Finance founder Tim Buckley said the northern state ran the preferred model, which delivered major windfalls at times of high prices while easing pressure on producers when prices were low. “(We have) long been calling for a progressive NSW coal royalty scheme to generate revenues for alleviation of cost-of-living pressures and energy poverty in the state, following the leadership of Queensland,” he said. Read more

Climate Energy Finance director Tim Buckley prefers Queensland’s progressive approach over the flat NSW tax as it allows the government to participate in periods of super profits. “But an increased share in NSW to guarantee a fairer return to public coffers is definitely a good start,” he said. “The previous flat 6-8 per cent coal export royalty rate in NSW was long overdue for review and uplift. “It is imperative that the revenue generated is not used to subsidise the continued operation of coal power in the state, including the end-of-life Eraring coal power station due for closure in 2025, but applied to reduce cost of living pressures and support essential services, as per the government’s commitments made today.” Read more

Climate Energy Finance founder Tim Buckley said the northern state ran the preferred model, which delivered major windfalls at times of high prices while easing pressure on producers when prices were low. “(We have) long been calling for a progressive NSW coal royalty scheme to generate revenues for alleviation of cost-of-living pressures and energy poverty in the state, following the leadership of Queensland,” he said. Read more

CEF welcomes and applauds the politically courageous announcement by the Minns government in NSW today that it will increase the state’s coal royalties to generate a total of $2.7 billion for NSW over four years from 2024. Read more

Hunter communities undergoing unprecedented social and economic upheaval due to the clean energy transition would be the main beneficiaries of a progressive coal royalty system, Tim Buckley argued. The NSW government is investigating increasing mining royalties as part of an effort to boost the state’s bottom line when the temporary cap on coal prices implemented to curb soaring electricity prices expires. This could involve the introduction of progressive royalties, which would require coal companies to pay more as the coal price increases. Read more

Tim Buckley writes that it’s about time NSW reflected QLD’s progressive coal royalty regime which has just delivered a stunning dividend to the people of the state. Read more