RECYCLING company Visy has warned that the Government’s proposed emissions trading scheme would force it to immediately close two recycling and paper manufacturing facilities with the direct loss of 160 jobs.
In the company’s response to the Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) Green Paper, billionaire owner Richard Pratt said the job loses would be a result of the introduction of an emissions trading scheme with a carbon price of $20/ton.
In a statement released by Visy, the company said the uncertainty surrounding the price of carbon was making it difficult for the recycling giant to assess the impacts of a carbon emission scheme on its business. The company also said it was having difficulty “budgeting for its immediate and longer-term operations”.
The company made a number of recommendations in response to the Green Paper which included, unsurprisingly, increased carbon credits and compensation for loss of jobs and investment for parts of its business that are emissions-intensive trade-exposed (EITE).