2021-02-02
The Australian Greens say that the recent Climate Targets Panel report shows talk of ‘net zero by 2050’ is grossly insufficient to arrest the climate emergency, demanding the government adopts strong targets ahead of an upcoming climate summit, hosted by Joe Biden on April 22.
Adam Bandt MP says that given climate scientists are stressing the importance of 2030 targets, any attempt to move climate off the agenda for decades amounts to ‘bipartisan climate denial’.
“Delay is the new denial,” Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP said.
“Less than a week after climate scientists united to call for a 50-74% emissions reduction by 2030, the Liberals are trying to shift back action by decades.
“If your house is on fire, you call the fire brigade straight away instead of hoping the fire will magically put itself out later on.
“Joe Biden will host an international climate summit in 79 days, with strong action for 2030 the focus. If Scott Morrison doesn’t lift Australia’s 2030 targets, he is walking away from the Paris Agreement.
“The independent Climate Targets Panel says we need to reduce our carbon emissions by at least 50% by the end of this decade to have a hope of avoiding tipping points that will lead to millions of deaths.
“Liberal and Labor must stop the delay and start listening to the science. We’re in a critical decade for climate action and it’s what we do by 2030 that matters. We can’t wait three decades to stop burning the coal, oil and gas that is heating our planet and putting lives at risk.”