If Labor abandons 2030 emissions targets, it abandons climate science

2019-09-12

If the Labor Party dumps its current target of 45 percent emissions reduction by 2030, they will lose whatever credibility they have left on the climate crisis and prove that they’ve learnt all the wrong lessons from the election, said Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale.  

“Queensland and New South Wales are burning, our firefighters and emergency responders on the ground are screaming out for support and Labor’s response is to join the climate deniers in the Liberals,” Di Natale said.  

“Without a proper 2030 emissions reduction target and a plan to phase out coal, Labor will have lost whatever remaining credibility it has on the climate crisis. 

“We’re in a climate emergency and Labor is caving in to the coal, oil and gas lobby. And if they think voters are going to reward them for that, they’ve taken all the wrong lessons from the election.”

“There are two kinds of climate denial. There’s refusing to accept the science is real and there’s refusing to do what the science requires. Delay is just another form of denial and I hope Labor doesn’t join the Liberals by denying the need for urgent action by 2030,” said Greens Climate Change Spokesperson Adam Bandt MP. 

“The Greens are holding the Coalition climate criminals to account and we’d like Labor’s help.”

“Short-term targets matter. The world’s scientists have told us that unless we drastically cut pollution, we could hit the dangerous 1.5 degree tipping point by as early as 2030.”

“When you’re heading towards a cliff, deciding to go over the edge and hoping you‘ll stop before you hit the bottom isn’t a climate policy, it’s a death sentence,” Bandt said.