2023-11-30
With official emissions data revealing today that emissions under Labor have risen 3.6 million tonnes this year, the Greens have said that Labor’s talk of climate action is gaslighting when they continue to open new coal and gas projects.
The Government has also confirmed that they will refuse to back the Climate Change Authority’s recommendation to reduce gas demand through phasing out new and existing gas connections, while instead focusing the government's energy on building new gas fields.
Additionally, they have refused to fully support net-zero based Fuel Efficiency Standards as recommended by the Climate Change Authority, leaving Australia at risk of becoming the dumping ground for old and dirty ICE vehicles.
Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP, has called for Labor to stop opening up new coal and gas. Gas is as dirty as coal, and the federal government must play a role in ensuring households don’t get stuck on the expensive and polluting fuel source.
Lines attributable to Adam Bandt MP, Leader of the Australian Greens:
“Climate pollution is rising under Labor and they’re still approving new coal and gas mines,” Mr Bandt said.
“Labor must stop gaslighting the public. Opening new coal and gas isn’t climate action.
“By opening new gas fields and refusing to help phase out gas in homes, Labor is trying to prop up the gas industry by trapping customers on the expensive, polluting energy source.
“Labor isn’t even going to meet its unscientific 43% emissions reduction target, which will see Australia blitz past 2 degrees of warming and see our country’s agriculture pushed to the brink.
“There are ten coal and gas projects on Tanya Plibersek’s desk that will create ten times more pollution than what the government’s weak 2030 targets will save.”