COP26 has made important progress but has not delivered the ambition we need to ensure a safe climate said the Australian Conservation Foundation in response to the final Glasgow agreement.
There have been breakthroughs but this is in no part thanks to the Morrison Government that showed up to Glasgow with no ambition, no leadership and a severely lacking plan to replace coal and gas with renewable energy.
“Australia has once again been part of the problem, not the solution. We are in the group of climate laggards – along with Russia and Saudi Arabia – that have gone to great lengths to water down the agreement surrounding coal power and subsidies,” ACF Climate Program Manager Gavan McFadzean said.
“The gap between Australia and some of its closest allies and trading partners – like the US, UK and the EU – has widened and it will result in dire consequences for our climate, economy and jobs.
“Australia is one of the sunniest and windiest places on earth, we are missing a golden opportunity to become a global renewables superpower. We should be leading from the front, not lagging from the very back,” he said.
While Glasgow hasn’t achieved the ambition we need to limit global temperatures to 1.5 degrees, there are breakthroughs:
- 140 countries lifted 2030 pollution reduction targets, but not Australia
- 103 countries agreed to slash methane pollution, but not Australia
- 190 countries and organisations agreed to phase out coal power and end public funding, but not Australia
“The pressure is now on our elected representatives in Canberra to update its climate policy to bring us up to speed with key trading partners,” Mr McFadzean said.
“A majority of world leaders, and importantly a majority of Australians, want to see emissions halved at the very least by 2030. This can be done easily through electrifying industry and bolstering renewable power,
“This conference is the nail in the coffin for coal. The world is moving on – Australia should too,
“Momentum is building, our eyes now turn to both of the major parties in the lead up to the Federal election to introduce the action needed to safeguard our climate and nature.”
