Australia's global climate leadership in the wrong direction

Australia is leading the world with the fastest rising greenhouse emissions in the developed world, growing at 2% a year, according to a study released by the Global Carbon Project today.

The Greens are calling on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to focus on opportunities to reduce emissions now, such as energy efficiency, renewable energy and protecting forests, instead of making Australia the world hub for an experimental technology to clean up coal in 10-15 years time, if ever.

Senator Milne said "Kevin Rudd will be judged by Australians on whether Australia's emissions continue to rise out of control or whether they finally begin to fall.

"Promoting coal at the United Nations will not impress all those who voted for Mr Rudd in order to see Australia take leadership on climate change. Being the developed world's leading emitter was not what they had in mind.

"At the moment, Australia's emissions from energy, transport and forestry are rising out of control with no systemic approach to reining them in.

"There are plenty of easy options for reducing emissions fast, which many countries around the world have already seized.

"By rolling out energy efficiency across Australian homes, businesses and industry, we could cut emissions by 15% and save money! Protecting the vast carbon stores in our native forests and rolling out renewable energy and mass transit can also be done fast if we put our minds to it.

"Instead, our governments are obsessed with protecting coal and promoting a hypothetical technofix that could only start reducing emissions 10-15 years into the future, if it can ever be proven to be safe, effective and affordable.

"Our emissions are growing faster than others because we have not bothered to take the fast and easy options for reining them in. Now we are using our failure to do so as an excuse to keep failing.

"It is time to end the defeatism and seize the opportunities that come from building a zero carbon economy. That's the leadership Australians are looking for."

Contact: Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562

Tim Hollo
Media Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
ph: (02) 6277 3588
mob: 0437 587 562

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