Where is the "pro-jobs" climate change lobby in Australia?

It occurred to me recently that one of the things that Australia's climate change debate really lacks is the critical "pro-jobs" or "economics" based lobby groups.

Our domestic climate change debate has largely been one focused on morality and values rather than business. While climate change has a huge moral component (after all my carbon pollution harms all other people all over the world) this isn't the only aspect for why carbon reduction should be considered.

It is important to recognise the positive market implications for Australian business and enterprise of early adoption of low carbon laws and incentives. Early introduction of carbon taxes/cap and trade systems etc. create huge incentives for investment in carbon reduction R&D. Inherent in this investment is the development and refinement of efficiency improving technologies. There is little doubt that efficiency is a good (and profitable) thing: doing more with less inherently saves money. efficiency improving tech increasing the productivity of everything from transport to manufacturing.

In the US the positive economic benefits of low carbon incentive systems are being toted by a number of climate change lobby groups. Slogans like "Carbon Caps = Hard Hats"(www.thecapsolution.org) and "Less Carbon, More Jobs" (www.lesscarbonmorejobs.org) are on the lips of many a climate change activist. Al Gore's message has firmly focused on the positive economic benefits of early climate change legistlation, as can be seen in the range of new TV ads he has launched on the issue (check them out at the end of his latest TED talk: www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/al_gore_warns_on_latest_climate_trends.html). Websites like Repower America (www.repoweramerica.org) provide very detailed accounts of how green tax concessions and cap & trade programs can create millions of new American jobs.

In Australia we simply arnt getting this message. Aussies need to get the message that carbon taxes/green concessions, if implemented effectively, can be a hugely positive thing for our workers and economy. I hope that our politicians, industry and green lobby soon realise that the tired "green means poor but moral, pollution means wealth but immoral" discussion is just so out dated and oversimplified.