Emissions safeguard switch will relax controls on big polluters, Greens say

Changes to the emissions baselines proposed by the Coalition mean businesses are less likely to breach rules in the short term

The Greens have expressed alarm over changes to the emissions safeguard mechanism that will make it less likely that heavy polluters such as mines and smelters will be caught by the scheme - at least in the short term.

In the week following an attempted pivot on climate change policy by the Morrison government, the Department of Environment and Energy has published amendments to the safeguard mechanism that take effect immediately.