2021-11-15
The Greens have said the next election will be a climate fight with the heat now on Liberal and Labor, after the Glasgow Climate Pact put coal & gas on death row and committed countries to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, which will mean Australia taking to next year’s summit 2030 targets of 75% emissions cuts.
However, within hours of signing up to the Glasgow Climate Pact, Angus Taylor has ruled out setting new 2030 targets prior to COP27 in November 2022, which the Pact explicitly requests and urges Australia to do.
Keith Pitt has also used the opportunity post-Glasgow to state that “we won’t be closing mines and closing coal-fired power stations”, in direct contradiction to the Pact’s agreement to accelerate the phase-down of unabated coal power.
All parties to the pact also recognized that the impacts of climate change will be much lower at the temperature increase of 1.5 °C compared with 2 °C and resolved to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C.
The independent Climate Targets Panel has determined that a 74% emissions reduction on 2005 levels is required by 2030 for Australia to do it’s fair share to limit global heating to 1.5°C.
Quotes attributable to Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP:
“Forget whether it’s ‘phase out’ or ‘phase down’, the Glasgow pact has put coal and gas on death row.
“I’m not sure the government has fully realised what they’ve signed up to or the implications for Liberal and Labor next year.
“The Glasgow pact means getting out of coal, but Liberal and Labor want 116 new coal and gas projects.
“With such a strong focus on limiting global heating to 1.5 degrees, the Glasgow pact has upped the ante for Liberal and Labor, as neither have 2030 targets consistent with 1.5 degrees but both must pledge higher ambition before next year’s climate summit in Egypt.
“From now on, anything less than a 75% by 2030 target and a pledge for no more coal and gas means giving up on the Glasgow pact.
“The next election will be a climate fight and the heat is now on Liberal and Labor to stop their push for more coal and gas and lift 2030 targets to 75% to keep 1.5 alive.
“Only the Greens’ policies are in line with Glasgow.
“With Greens in balance of power after the next election, we’ll kick the Liberals out and push the next government to go further and faster for no more coal and gas and a 75% cut by 2030.”