2020-01-31
A plan between the Federal and NSW Liberal Government to prop up the failing gas industry will increase the use of unsustainable Coal Seam Gas up to 60% at a time when major industry players have been working on exit plans and the community is demanding real climate action.
Greens MP and Energy Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:
"This is a dangerous plan which will make the Climate Crisis worse.
"We are in the middle of a terrible summer of fires, drought and smoke and this is when the Coalition, State and Federal, commits to more coal and gas projects. This is a reckless and illegitimate plan that will make the climate crisis worse.
"It's 2020. We don't need to be extracting more gas to "transition" to renewable energy, we need to be building solar, wind and renewable storage now.
"This is pretending to take action on climate change while committing to more coal, more gas, and worsening the climate crisis.
"What we have here is another case of Liberal Governments State and Federal letting the big miners write their environmental policy.
"A package that claims to be about secure and sustainable energy futures cannot include coal seam gas or the guarantee of coal supply for Mount Piper as a sensible solution.
"We need a transition to 100 percent publicly owned renewable energy now and with it create thousands of highly skilled and well paid green jobs," Mr Shoebridge said.
Greens MP and Mining Spokesperson Abigail Boyd said:
"The last thing the country needs right now is for Morrison to be advancing the interests of the fossil fuel giants ahead of the community's needs.
"Pushing the lie that gas is a necessary transition fuel, or that more gas will reduce energy prices, is grossly irresponsible.
"That the Berejiklian government accepted this 'deal' on those grounds shows just how out of touch the Coalition is with the views of the people of NSW," Ms Boyd said.
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