Australia: We will tax carbon pollution

Plans to introduce taxation for carbon pollution from 2010 will go ahead in Australia, according to the country's treasurer.

Wayne Swan announced that the government will make public its plans for the tax in December, in a bid to work towards capping the country's greenhouse gas emissions.

The overall aim is to slash the releasing of harmful gases by 60 per cent over the next 42 years.

Such ambitions are viable and the country is capable of reaching these targets by 2050, according to a report released today by the treasury department.

Mr Swan announced that if the carbon pollution tax is implemented, the Australian economy would experience an average growth of 1.1 per cent annually.

Meanwhile, a survey undertaken by the Australian National University revealed that over half of 1,000 Australians polled believe climate change to be a very real threat to the future of the planet.