While Labor’s Climate Policy is a step up from the current polices of the Coalition government it does not go fast enough nor far enough to put people with the least, impacted workers and communities at the front.
ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said:
“The Labor climate policy announced today is welcome recognition that action on climate change can create jobs, cut energy bills, and drive down emissions. However, the policy misses the opportunity to give priority to people most at risk to the impacts of climate change and markets responses.
“People with the least are impacted by climate change first, worse, and longest, but have fewer resources to cope, adapt and recover from climate impacts or benefit fully in the energy transition.
“Policies like community batteries and solar gardens are welcome if they are located in lower-socio economic areas. But they will only go someway to helping a portion of the millions of people on low-income suffering in costly and unhealthy inefficient housing.
“ACOSS, for example, has been calling for Governments to invest to improve energy efficiency and rooftop solar for 1.8 million low-income homes that would cut power bills, improve health outcomes, improve resilience to climate change, cut emissions, create more than 23,800 local jobs and add $4.9 billion to GDP.
“ACOSS has also called to put First Nations communities front and centre of a transition plan. We could empower and support First Nations communities to access and manage renewable energy farms, carbon offset projects, manage country and make housing efficient and self-sufficient.
“We are concerned Labor’s target of 43% reduction by 2030 is inconsistent with what science says is needed to protect people and planet, and is out of step with what community and business are calling for.
“Updated climate target modelling says Australia’s fair contribution to keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees requires a 75% reduction by 2030, 50% with a clear ratchet mechanism would be an absolute minimum.
“We welcome Labor’s Powering the Regions Fund, and urge Labor to ensure integrity by establishing an Energy Transition Authority that is mandated to consult with local communities on how the funds are invested.
“We also welcome the changes to the safeguards mechanism that will require emissions intensive industry reduce their emissions.
“We hope to see more from Labor between now and the election including policies to:
- invest to improve energy efficiency and rooftop solar for 1.8 million low-income homes
- put First Nations communities front and centre of a transition plan
- plan to phase out fossil fuels and support affected workers and communities
- build climate resilience including affordable and quality insurance
- end the billions of dollars of annual subsidies and government funding for fossil fuel production and use to fund fair, fast and inclusive action on climate change.
“The community sector is seeing first hand the devastation of climate change impacts on communities – affecting their mental and physical health, homes, jobs, general quality of life and sadly loss of life.
“Failure to act faster and more fairly will be unforgivable.”
