'Australia unveiled plans to hit its worst polluters with a carbon tax in the nation's most sweeping economic reform in decades, smoothing the way for the largest emissions-trade scheme outside Europe with tax cuts for voters and sweeteners for industry.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard said today 500 companies including steel and aluminium manufacturers would pay a A$23 ($24.70) per tonne carbon tax from next year, rising by 2.5 percent a year, moving to a market-based trading scheme in 2015.
"Australians want to do the right thing by the environment," said Gillard, whose country is the rich world's worst per-capita greenhouse gas emitter due to a heavy reliance on ageing coal-fired power stations for electricity.'
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