2019-08-27
The Victorian Greens have called on the Government to take the climate emergency seriously by raising their renewable energy target from 50 to 100 per cent.
Member for Brunswick, Dr Tim Read, will move an amendment to the Government’s Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Amendment Bill 2019 in parliament this week, calling for the Victorian Renewable Energy Target for 2030 to be increased to 100 per cent.
Dr Read said climate change required urgent action and that a complete shift to renewable energy was an important part of the solution.
The coal power stations currently operating in Victoria are dinosaur relics of a past era. With more speculation just last week that Victoria's aging fleet of brown coal power stations will close in the coming years, we need a strong pipeline of new renewable energy projects to take their place.
A target of 50 per cent is simply not enough.
Quotes attributable to Member for Brunswick and energy spokesperson, Dr Tim Read:
“A legislated target for renewable energy makes it harder for a future government to send our state backwards.
“But 50 per cent isn’t enough. Victoria is already on track to reach this target by 2029.
“We need a more ambitious target to adequately respond to the climate emergency and to provide stable and reliable energy for Victorian homes and businesses.
“It’s easy – The Victorian Greens have already developed and had costed a comprehensive plan to get our state to 100 per cent renewables by 2030.
“Anyone worried about the cost of building a clean energy system should look at the cost of droughts, fires and heatwaves.
“We need the Government to aim higher and understand that the future is renewable.”