SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia on Sunday Announced plans to tax carbon pollution at Aus $ 23 (U.S. $ 24.74) per ton to help battle climate change, as it Moved Towards Creating the region&&9;s biggest emissions trading scheme.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard Said There Would Be a fixed price on carbon pollution, Blamed for global warming, from next year before INSTANT year WAS Emissions Trading Scheme Introduced in 2015.

"We Have Had a long debate about climate change in this country," Gillard Said in a rare address to the nation Televised.

"Most Australians now AGREE our climate is changing, then this is Caused by carbon pollution, harmful effects on this HAS our environment and on the economy - and the government Should act."

"We&&9;ve now Purpose Had the Debate, 2011 Is The Year That we decide as a nation we want a clean energy future.Now is the time to move from words to deeds. "

Under the scheme to begin on July 1, 2012, about 500 of Australia&&9;s Top Polluters Will pay a fixed price, starting at $ 23 per ton Aus, carbon dioxide emissions for Their for the first Three Years.

The Mechanism Would then shift Into Year Emissions Trading Scheme, with a floating price set by the market. Will the government set a floor price and upper limit for a year at least the first Three Years to Avoid price shocks.

Experts Said Australia&&9;s Emissions Trading Scheme Would Be The Biggest MOST Systematic and outside Europe, similar in scale to larger purpose Than That ADOPTED by Neighbouring New Zealand.

"There&&9;s nothing really in the rest of Systematic our region," Professor John Quiggin from the University of Queensland&&9;s School of Economics said.

"Obviously China and India are Doing things All kinds of very large scale has been ...So There&&9;s very serious action Certainly there; goal in terms of a broad-based and Systematic carbon price, this is really one of the biggest moves We&&9;ve Seen, "He Told AFP.

Tony Wood, of the independent-Focused economics think-tank the Institute Grattan at Melbourne University, Australia&&9;s Agreed That Planned scheme would be "the only really significant one Other" outside Europe best payday advance.

Gillard Said the Economic Reform Would create incentives for the Biggest Polluters to Reduce Their Emissions of greenhouse gases.

At the Same Time, Will the government has ESTABLISH $ 10 one billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation to fund innovative projects in renewable energy and the Coal Industry Will Receive some $ 1.3 billion to Protect jobs and Compensate for the tax over five years.

Much of the revenue raised from the tax in the first Three Years Will Provide for Higher family payments, pensions and income-tax cuts boosts to offset the cost of living INcreased as the carbon price factor Businesses Into the cost of Their Goods and Services.

The issue of a carbon tax has-been hotly debated in Australia, Among the world&&9;s worst per capita Polluters due to reliance on coal ITS-fired power and mining exports.

The Prime Minister Has the numbers in parliament to pass the legislation aims Her popularity has-been sinking in opinion polls sincere she Announced plans for the tax Earlier this year.

The conservative opposition HAS led the attack, with opposition leader Tony Abbott Sunday Describing the scheme as "socialism masquerading as environmentalism" and Saying It Would leave millions of Australians out of pocket and Without Reducing Emissions Threaten jobs.

The Mining Sector aussi criticised the plan, with Rio Tinto warning the tax would "Inevitably Hinder investment and jobs growth in Australia Without Reducing global carbon emissions."

Environmental organizations Were broadly supportive of the tax.

"This package IS NOT perfect, it IS absolutely essential goal Australia gets started," Australian Conservation Foundation director Don Henry said.

Australia sets carbon tax to fight climate change