Media Releases | 17th Jul, 2007

Howards emission policy fails to cut the hot air

Tuesday, 17 July 2007

Prime Minister John Howard’s emission policy statement today once again failed to take on the practical measures needed to halt dangerous climate change by setting legislated emission reduction targets.

“Mr Howard has not released anything new in terms of curbing our greenhouse gas emissions in line with what scientists are telling us we need achieve of at least 30 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050.”

“Only with federally legislated emission reductions such as this can Australia turn itself around from a future of increased droughts, food insecurity and rising prices for the basic necessities of life,” said Louise Morris, Climate Campaigner for Environment Victoria.

Ms Morris said that while the household rebate for solar panel installation is a step in the right direction, the rest of the emission policy lacked any real detail as to how Australia will reduce our emissions in the short and long term.

“Australia needs political leadership that contains real and immediate measures to cut our emissions and provide clean green alternative energy solutions to polluting and dangerous energy sources such as coal and nuclear power. If Mr Howard and the Liberal party were serious about tackling climate change, the first step would be to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which Howard himself has admitted has had some success.”