Greens’ climate change spokesperson and Co-Deputy Leader, Adam Bandt, said that Labor’s climate announcement today was a jumble of Liberal party ideas without any plan to transition out of thermal coal. Mr Bandt also said his party would oppose the ‘fake action’ of international offsets contained in Labor’s plan. The Greens will work to kick Scott Morrison’s government out but then toughen up Labor’s proposals in the Senate.
“There are a couple of good ideas here, but overall this is a dog’s breakfast of Liberal party leftovers, with no plan for coal and no hope of meeting the Paris Agreement goals,” said Mr Bandt.
“Coal is the single biggest contributor to climate change. If you don’t have a plan for coal, you’re not serious about climate change.
“The Liberals love coal and Labor won’t say its name, but without a plan to transition out of coal, we will not meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.”
‘Safeguards’
“The NEG and so-called ‘safeguards’ were created by the climate change-denying Liberal party and should be put in the bin, not reheated by Labor and served up as a climate policy.”
“By adopting the ineffective safeguard mechanism with huge carve outs for some sectors, it looks like the free ride for big business in this country on climate will continue under Bill Shorten.
International offsets
“Labor has also confirmed it will adopt a dodgy accounting trick that even Tony Abbott opposes by allowing business to use international offsets.”
“International offsets delay climate action in Australia. More coal will be burnt at home and the transition to 100% renewables will be delayed.”
“We cannot outsource our emissions reduction obligations to a pig farm in Ukraine.”
“The Greens welcome Labor’s rejection of the dodgy carryover credit scam, but international offsets are also ‘fake action’ because Australian polluters will buy overseas permits from other countries but keep polluting at home.”
The passage of Labor’s plan through Parliament
“I’m desperate to turf to the conservatives out, but I’m bitterly disappointed Labor isn’t taking the climate emergency seriously, hoping that being only slightly less bad that the Liberals will be enough to get them elected.”
“Labor is still jumping at Tony Abbott’s shadow, unwilling to put together a coherent economy-wide climate policy at the very time the public mood has shifted in favor of strong action and a carbon price.”
“This announcement shows why you need Greens in Parliament. The Greens will work towards a change of government then, in the Senate, toughen up Labor’s poorly cobbled-together patchwork of Liberal party policy rejects.”
Electric cars
“Not only does the target lack ambition, but the policy lack mechanisms that would get us even close to 50% electric vehicles by 2030,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport and infrastructure spokesperson.
“Labor’s EV announcement is nothing but an attempt to grab some headlines on climate change without any actual substance.”
