2021-11-11
As the Glasgow climate summit comes to a head and the Liberals’ weak 2030 targets place Australia under increasing pressure, Scott Morrison is again readying Australia to sabotage a global climate consensus by blocking political momentum for a ‘ratcheting up’ of 2030 targets.
With Australia failing to raise ambition for 2030, the draft communique from COP26 is planning to specifically call upon nations who have insufficient mid-term targets to return next year to COP27 in Egypt with increased ambition consistent with the science.
The Liberal Party has a demonstrated history of sabotaging international climate talks by blocking consensus and demanding the right to keep polluting. The notorious ‘Australia clause’ loophole that allowed countries like Australia to increase its emissions under the Kyoto Protocol was added into the agreement at the demand of the then Howard Government.
“Scott Morrison is getting ready to sabotage global climate action just to save face,” Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, said.
“Scott Morrison must not hold the rest of the world back from climate action just to suit his domestic climate denial.
“If we don’t do more by 2030, we won’t stop the climate crisis. The rest of the world gets that and they’re urging countries like Australia, Russia and Saudi Arabia to do more.
“Instead of trying to fudge the science and rip clauses out of the Glasgow agreement, Scott Morrison should sign on to the agreement and lift Australia’s 2030 targets, like the US and UK have done.”
“Removing clauses that recall nations who fail to increase 2030 ambitions may appease the coal and gas corporations in the lead up to the 2022 election, but it gives cover for other recalcitrant petrostates to join Australia’s lead and refuse to act.
“We’re in a critical decade for climate action and the rest of the world is no longer distracted by the Liberals’ accounting tricks. The only action that will count is urgently phasing out coal, oil and gas, the main causes of the climate crisis.
“This draft communique recognises the urgency from the latest IPCC report. Pushing back action to later decades is as dangerous as climate denial.”