Governments’ ‘Emissions Reduction Agreement’ will actually drastically increase emissions, say environment groups
Environmentalists have criticised the recently announced Energy and Emissions Reduction
Agreement between the Territory and Commonwealth Governments as another exercise in
funnelling public money to the gas industry.
The agreement, announced on Friday just before the commencement of caretaker mode, outlines a
range of funding, totalling $872 million, from both the Territory and Commonwealth for expanding
the gas industry, including LNG processing at Middle Arm and fracking in the Beetaloo basin.
Dr Kirsty Howey, co-director of the Environment Centre NT, said: “It is actually scandalous that this
is called an Emissions Reduction Agreement when really it is about funnelling hundreds upon
millions of dollars of public money to the gas industry.”
“The Gunner and Morrison Governments are supposed to be working out how to implement
recommendation 9.8 of the Pepper inquiry, which commits them to offsetting lifecycle emissions
from fracking, but this agreement does nothing of the sort. It is a shameless splash of funds for their
gas mates.”
“The words ’emissions reduction’ have been reduced to meaninglessness under this government.
Far from reducing emissions, this agreement will increase them by expanding the gas industry and
enabling fracking in the Beetaloo. The RepuTex report into Beetaloo fracking showed us that to
actually offset carbon emissions from the Beetaloo would mean cost up to $22billion over the first
20 years of production. This makes fracking unviable.”
“Carbon capture and storage is the lynchpin of the government’s emissions reductions goals, but
everyone knows this is a farce. It has not worked at scale anywhere in the world and is plagued by
failures and scams.”
“So many Australians are doing it tough right now in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Government should be supporting jobs in long-term, sustainable industries and businesses, not
handing out public money to its fossil fuel executive mates.”
