All parties must work together to fix carbon plan
Date: 23-Feb-2009
The Australian Conservation Foundation has called on all federal parliamentarians to work together to strengthen the targets and fix the flaws in the Government’s climate change white paper.
“The Government’s white paper on emissions trading should not go through Parliament in its current form,” said ACF executive director Don Henry.
“The scheme’s biggest flaws are the weak target to cut emissions by just 5–15 per cent by 2020 and the billions of dollars that will go to big polluters with no strings attached.
“If adopted globally, the Federal Government’s weak 5–15 per cent emission reduction target would condemn Australia to a future of disastrous climate change with more bushfires, droughts and heatwaves.
“The Government must strengthen its efforts to tackle climate change and play a leadership role at the crucial UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December.
Under the scheme design, Australian householders’ efforts to install solar panels and use energy more efficiently would actually free-up room for big polluters to pollute more.
“Every dollar that goes as a handout to big polluters is a dollar that doesn’t go towards creating green jobs and a clean economy,” Mr Henry said.
“The weak target to cut emissions by just 5–15 per cent by 2020 and the handouts to big polluters risk leaving Australia with an old, dirty economy.
“It’s essential that all parliamentarians to work together to strengthen the targets and fix the scheme as quickly as possible.”