Professor Joshua Gans says delays on the Federal Government’s emissions trading scheme shouldn’t effect consumer decisions on ‘buying green’.

With the Federal Government's hotly debated emissions trading scheme set to be introduced into the lower house today, Professor Gans says that the proposed one year delay in its official introduction should not be considered as "reneging on a previous timetable."

"When it comes down to it all, of the targets are to be achieved by 2020 or 2050”.

“Its going to matter to consumers to get energy efficient appliances, even if they know emissions trading is another 12 months away,” he said.

“The idea of emissions trading is to set a carbon price, and influence the investment decisions of businesses, households and government; unless those investments involve appliances that will only last two years, another delay won’t change things.”

Professor Gans said the real delay is in not passing the legislation, and the Government has already changed its policy and compromised its plan enough to accommodate various groups.

 “One of the problems we face in wanting to do more (such as the greens are asking) and having lower emission than the government is targeting, is that if the international community don’t come along for the ride, Australia’s impact on the actual problem - in the absence of an international agreement - is that we will be economising on carbon and suffering economic harm for no reason,” he said.