2017-12-19
Climate policy travesty as pollution continues to rise
Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today slammed the government’s climate review, released today, as a piece of propaganda designed to justify the government’s failed policies. The data and the policy review released today reveal:
· Australia’s overall annual emissions in 2016-17 are estimated to have increased 0.7 per cent on the previous year to 550.2 Mt CO2 -e.
· Australia is on track for only 5% emissions cuts by 2030 on 2005 levels - less than the 26-28% set by the government - with no detailed, credible mechanism to reach the 2030 targets
· The government plans to make matters worse by allowing companies to purchase dodgy international permits instead of reducing their own pollution in Australia
· The government intends to weaken its flawed Emissions Reduction Fund by shifting the goalposts and allowing companies’ pollution baselines to be increased to allow them to be more polluting
Quotes attributable to Adam Bandt MP:
“The data is devastating and the policy review is a travesty.”
“The Review is nothing more than a piece of propaganda designed to justify the government’s failed climate policies.
“Pollution is going up, we won’t meet even our paltry Paris targets and the government’s only plan is to make matters worse by allowing companies to buy dodgy permits from pig farms in China instead of cutting Australia’s emissions.
“The data shows pollution will be 3.5% higher in 2030 than in 2020 without any detailed plan to bring pollution down, so the policy review propaganda piece gives us no hope of meeting our Paris commitments.
“The only ray of light is from the electricity sector, where pollution is falling because of the Hazelwood closure - which the government opposed - and the Renewable Energy Target - which the government wants to scrap.
“The government even has the chutzpah to release this vacuous climate policy review on the same day that data is released showing emissions continue to rise.
“To add insult to injury, MYEFO shows that real spending on climate change will fall from $2.5 Billion in 17-18 to just $1.2 Billion in 20-21.
“Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. One of the few times Tony Abbott made a good decision was in 2011 when he rejected international permits saying: "Money that shouldn't be going offshore into dodgy carbon farms in Equatorial Guinea and Kazakhstan."
“The Greens will not support the outsourcing of Australia's pollution problem. The Greens will continue to push for an expanded Renewable Energy Target and price on pollution as a credible alternative to the government’s failed policies.”
Media contact: Gideon Reisner, 0429 109 054
TW: @AdamBandt FB: facebook.com/Adam.Bandt.MP