The Claim
“Falsely claimed that nations around the world are scrapping emissions trading schemes, even though there is currently a net increase in adoption of such schemes.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The claim is factually accurate. Prime Minister Tony Abbott did repeatedly assert in 2014 that emissions trading schemes were "being discarded" around the world, while authoritative evidence showed the opposite was true.
According to an ABC fact check from July 9, 2014, Tony Abbott stated: "There is no sign that trading schemes are increasingly being adopted. If anything trading schemes are being discarded not adopted" [1]. This statement was made as part of the Coalition government's push to repeal Labor's carbon pricing regime.
However, multiple authoritative sources contradicted Abbott's claim:
The World Bank's "State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2014" report (published May 28, 2014) documented significant growth in carbon pricing mechanisms globally. According to the World Bank, "39 national and 23 sub-national jurisdictions – responsible for almost a quarter of the global greenhouse gas emissions – have implemented or are scheduled to implement carbon pricing instruments" [2]. The report specifically noted that "eight new carbon markets opened in 2013, and another launched in early 2014," with the world's emissions trading schemes valued at approximately US$30 billion [2].
The International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) Status Report 2014 provided further evidence, stating that "2013 was a record year: in total, nine new emissions trading schemes (ETS) started operation worldwide" [3]. Five of these new systems were in China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, with pilot schemes launched in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, Hubei, and Tianjin [3][2].
ABC's verdict: The ABC fact check unit concluded: "Mr Abbott's claim that trading schemes are being discarded not adopted does not check out" [1].
Missing Context
The Coalition's position in historical context: The Abbott government was committed to repealing the Clean Energy Act 2011 (the carbon pricing mechanism introduced by the Gillard Labor government), which took effect on July 1, 2012 [4]. The repeal was ultimately passed on July 17, 2014 [4].
Expert analysis on Australia's unique position: Professor Stephen Howes, Director of the Development Policy Centre at the Australian National University, stated in 2014: "I'd say Australia stands out as being the only country that has put in place a carbon price and then decided to discard it. So slowly but surely we are seeing more countries, more governments rather than less putting in place emissions trading schemes, carbon prices of one type or another" [1].
Professor Ross Garnaut, the economist who headed the 2008 Garnaut Climate Change Review, told the ABC he didn't know of anywhere else in the world where carbon pricing was being rolled back: "I know a lot of countries that are in the process of introducing emissions trading schemes... I don't know of any country that's actually dismantling them. Lots of action in lots of countries, Australia is swimming against that tide" [1].
Source Credibility Assessment
Original source: The ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) is Australia's public broadcaster, generally regarded as a mainstream, reputable news source with a statutory obligation to maintain independence and accuracy. The specific article cited in the claim (ABC PM program, 2014) is a news report. ABC's fact check unit, which independently verified this claim, was a dedicated fact-checking service that assessed political statements against available evidence.
The fact check is credible because it:
- Directly quotes the Prime Minister's statements
- Cites authoritative sources (World Bank, ANU professors, Garnaut Review)
- Provides specific data points with dates
- Includes multiple expert opinions
Additional authoritative sources:
- World Bank: Highly credible international financial institution with expertise in climate finance
- ICAP (International Carbon Action Partnership): International forum for governments working on emissions trading
- ANU (Australian National University): Australia's leading research university
- Professor Ross Garnaut: Internationally recognized economist with climate policy expertise
Labor Comparison
Did Labor do something similar?
No. The Labor Party (under both Rudd and Gillard governments) pursued the implementation of carbon pricing, not its repeal.
The historical timeline shows:
- 2007: Kevin Rudd committed to an emissions trading scheme (Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme - CPRS)
- 2009: CPRS legislation was defeated in the Senate (voted down by Greens and Coalition)
- 2011: Julia Gillard government passed the Clean Energy Act (carbon pricing mechanism)
- 2012: Carbon pricing took effect on July 1, 2012
- 2014: Abbott Coalition government repealed the carbon pricing mechanism
Australia is unique globally as the only country to have implemented and then repealed a carbon emission trading scheme [5]. This reversal was a direct result of Australia's 'climate wars' - political strife surrounding climate policy [5].
The Labor governments (Rudd 2007-2010, Gillard 2010-2013) consistently supported carbon pricing mechanisms, while the Coalition (Howard 1996-2007, Abbott 2013-2015) opposed them. Notably, John Howard's Liberal government had actually proposed an emissions trading scheme in 2007 as an election policy before losing office [4].
Balanced Perspective
The Coalition's justification: The Abbott government argued that Australia's carbon pricing mechanism placed the country at an economic disadvantage without delivering environmental benefits, given that Australia's trading partners either lacked carbon pricing or had much lower carbon prices [1]. They advocated for their "Direct Action" policy as an alternative approach to emissions reduction [4].
Complicating factors:
European carbon price collapse: In April 2013, the European carbon price collapsed to as low as AU$3.34/tonne compared to Australia's fixed rate of $23/tonne [4]. This price differential was used by critics to argue that Australia's carbon price was too high relative to international markets.
Political context: The carbon pricing mechanism was highly controversial politically. Tony Abbott campaigned in the 2013 election on a platform to "axe the tax," pledging that households would save $550 per year if the carbon tax was repealed [4].
China's progress: Despite Abbott's claims, China was rapidly expanding emissions trading. By 2014, China had launched six pilot ETS schemes and was planning a national ETS during the 13th Five Year Plan (2016-2020) [2]. The World Bank noted: "With the six Chinese pilots operational, China now houses the second largest carbon market in the world, covering the equivalent of over 1.1 billion tons of CO2, just behind the EU ETS" [2].
Australia's unique position: As noted by experts, Australia became the only country in the world to implement and then completely repeal a carbon pricing mechanism [5].
Key context: This claim is unique to the Coalition - no other Australian political party made similar claims about global abandonment of ETS. The factual record clearly shows that in 2013-2014, there was net growth in emissions trading scheme adoption globally, not contraction.
FALSE
2.0
out of 10
Tony Abbott's repeated claims that emissions trading schemes were "being discarded" around the world were factually incorrect. Multiple authoritative sources (World Bank 2014, ICAP 2014) documented a net increase in ETS adoption, with nine new schemes starting in 2013 and continued growth in 2014. Australia was, in fact, the only country moving in the opposite direction by repealing its carbon pricing mechanism in 2014. Expert analysis from ANU's Stephen Howes and Professor Ross Garnaut confirmed that no other country was dismantling carbon pricing while Australia was proceeding with repeal.
Final Score
2.0
OUT OF 10
FALSE
Tony Abbott's repeated claims that emissions trading schemes were "being discarded" around the world were factually incorrect. Multiple authoritative sources (World Bank 2014, ICAP 2014) documented a net increase in ETS adoption, with nine new schemes starting in 2013 and continued growth in 2014. Australia was, in fact, the only country moving in the opposite direction by repealing its carbon pricing mechanism in 2014. Expert analysis from ANU's Stephen Howes and Professor Ross Garnaut confirmed that no other country was dismantling carbon pricing while Australia was proceeding with repeal.
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.