The following is an extract.  See end of article for link to full article

INTRODUCTION
It took around eight consecutive years of drought before most Australians understood the value of a reliable water source and changed their water usage habits to preserve what little we had. Activities like washing the driveway or soaking the lawn are distant recollections. And, even though it’s raining now, it would be foolish to think we won’t enter a drought again.

Like the availability of fresh water, the damaging effects of greenhouse gases can’t be ignored. Now, more than before, it’s time to consider what we are expelling into our atmosphere. By introducing a carbon tax, the Australian Government has taken a carrot and stick approach to help reduce the impact of the country’s contribution to climate change.

Facilities that limit their emissions will not be impacted; however, those who exceed their allowances will be punished (financially). Having a carbon tax will redefine the boundaries concerning at what point you start to take notice of your outputs and practices.

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FOCUS SHIFTED TO SMALLER EMITTERS
Large emitters, like power stations and smelters, have been monitoring their outputs for some time, usually at the request of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) or similar agencies. But, now that the carbon tax has been approved by parliament, all eyes will turn to those smaller companies that have been issued with an emissions target or threshold by the government.
To remain competitive in a global marketplace, these smaller companies will have to do everything in their power to limit the impact of this new tax.

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MAKE TWICE THE SAVINGS
By regularly tuning your facility’s processes, you could be making twice the savings – by reducing the amount of carbon tax you pay (output) and by saving fuel in, say, manufacturing processes (input).

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CARBON TAX IS HERE TO STAY
Setting up monitoring equipment and providing management with data is no easy task. I recommend consulting with your energy company or your local environmental agency to determine which monitoring equipment is best suited to your industry and your facility.
Finland introduced a carbon trading scheme in 1990, so Australia really is one of the last established countries to go down this path. Don’t expect the carbon tax to be here today and gone tomorrow.

This is an extract.  See original (and complete) article from FM Australia.

http://www.fmmagazine.com.au/blog/building-management/take-control-of-your-facilitys-emissions/
Original Title: “Take control of your facilities emissions”,  Published: July 31^st 2012