2020-10-16
By failing to announce policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a meaningful way, the Labor and Liberal parties are failing the next generation when it comes to delivering real climate action, ACT Greens Leader and Climate Change Spokesperson Shane Rattenbury said today.
“Greenhouse gas emissions drive climate change. Climate change will lead to worse bushfire seasons, more severe extremes of weather, and a drying out of the Canberra region,” Mr Rattenbury said today.
“Now that our electricity is 100% renewable, the ACT’s two major sources of emissions are transport, primarily from the burning of petrol in cars, trucks and buses (62%), and fossil-fuel-gas (22%), primarily from gas-fired heating and cooling.
“You can’t have a credible climate policy without a clear plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions in these two sectors - it just doesn’t stack up.
“For example, both the major parties have failed to advance zero emission vehicle policies for the general population, even though transport accounts for 62% of the ACT's greenhouse gas emissions. We need an electric vehicle revolution over the next decade, which the Greens’ policy aims to achieve.”
To make matters worse on transport, both Labor and Liberal parties have proposed a range of ‘business as usual’ infrastructure and policies that will facilitate more car driving – such as a range of significant road duplications, additional car parking, reduced car parking fees and reduced car registration (with no environmental component).
“In the case of the Liberal Party, there are basically no climate change related policies at all, and even their tree planting policy is clumsy and underfunded. The Greens do not have any trust in their ability to take the necessary climate change action.”
The Greens have a comprehensive plan to work with our community and make an orderly transition to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why we will:
- make electric vehicles affordable and charging technology available,
- switch from dirty gas to renewable electricity powered heating and cooking ,
- reform our planning system to make development sustainable
- invest in sustainable transport alternatives, including better public transport and improved walking and cycling infrastructure.”
“If we don’t cut greenhouse gas emissions, we are letting the next generation down,” Mr Rattenbury said today.
“This is what Greens leadership in Government achieves - we drag the other parties in the right direction on the issues that matter most. There is no matter of more importance, that requires more immediate action, than the climate crisis.”
Statement ends
Media contact
Lisa Wills M 0481 035 764 E lisa.wills@act.gov.au