Greg Hunt's 'gift' will bring Coalition closer to 2020 emissions reduction goal

Thanks to a deal done with landfill operators, the environment minister is set to receive a 'free' gift of at least 16m tonnes of greenhouse emissions cuts

The environment minister, Greg Hunt, is set to receive a free "gift" of at least 16m tonnes of greenhouse emission cuts, bringing him closer to Australia's 2020 emissions reduction target and helping to explain his supreme confidence that Australia can meet it.

In August Hunt announced a deal he had done with landfill operators who had charged upfront gate fees for their expected liability under the former government's carbon tax and were left with a windfall gain upon its repeal.