2021-10-12
With Energy Security Board chairman Kerry Schott’s predicting that the grid could be without coal-fired power as in the early 2030’s, the Greens will move when Parliament resumes for a legally binding thermal coal phase out by 2030, arguing that without a planned transition, workers and coal communities will suffer disruption and uncertainty.
The Greens will give notice of a ‘Quit Coal’ bill when Parliament resumes next week with a legislated timetable for phasing out of thermal coal exports by 2030.
Greens Leader, Adam Bandt called 2050 targets that involve an expansion of coal and gas ‘a death sentence’. The Greens’ target, in line with the Paris goal of 1.5 degrees of warming, is a 75% cut by 2030.
Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt:
“2050 targets count for nothing if Australia’s also expanding coal and gas.
“Wherever it’s burned, Australian coal hurts Australia. We have to stop selling coal to the rest of the world because it’s putting our people at risk.
“Our biggest thermal coal customers have all set net-zero goals, so we need a planned transition to support coal workers and communities.
“The penny hasn’t yet dropped with Liberal and Labor that climate action means phasing out coal and gas and anything else is just greenwashing. If there is no plan to get out of coal and gas, a 2050 target is at best a political fix and should fool no one.
“The Liberals 2030 targets are consistent with over 3 degrees of global heating and Labor has no 2030 targets at all.
“The only time that Australia was consistently, successfully reducing emissions was when the Greens, in balance of power, put a price on carbon and introduced ARENA and the CEFC.
“It is clearer by the day that the only way to get climate action will be to kick the climate denying Liberals out and put the Greens in balance of power so we can push the next government to phase out coal and gas and act before it’s too late.”