The Australian parliament passed a law that demands 20% of the country's electricity to be generated from renewable energy sources by the year 2020. This matches what has become a standard renewable energy goal in Europe, but also elsewhere in the world.

Previously, the government set a rule that set a goal that was much smaller, in fact four times smaller, in 2001.

Even though this represents a welcome development for the Australian energy market and the environment, experts warn that more aggressive cut in greenhouse gases are needed to go along with the newly set renewable energy goal. The new bill will bring an increase in government assistance to industries which happen to be heavy users of electricity, but also create safeguards for existing investments in the coal mining industry.

Not all Australian members of parliament agree with the newly passed law. Some claim that a 30% goal would have been a better target, while also maintaining that big polluters were offered in fact too much government assistance. There are fears that renewable energy derived electricity will prove to be an expensive adventure.

Climate change minister Penny Wong, informed the Senate that even with as much as 20% of energy in Australia coming from renewable energy sources, the level of pollution has increased since 2000 by about 20%. A sever cut in carbon pollution is what's key according to many.