Environment and community groups unite to call on the PM to send the CPRS back for urgent redesign.
This morning, 24 environmental, aid, development and community organisations, including Environment Victoria, released an open letter to the Prime Minister, urging him send the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) ‘back to the drawing board’ for urgent redesign.
Organisations signing on include community groups, as well as Greenpeace Australia Pacific, the Australian Conservation Foundation, World Vision Australia and Oxfam Australia. The letter was facilitated by the peak non-government body on climate change, Climate Action Network Australia.
“There is an urgent need to respond to climate change here in Australia”, said John Hepburn, Climate Change Team Leader of Greenpeace Australia Pacific. “But the Government’s proposed CPRS in its current form is flawed, ineffective and counterproductive”.
The open letter expresses deep concern at the Australian Government’s proposed 5 – 15 percent emissions reduction target range for 2020.
“The adoption of such a low 2020 target by Australia will seriously weaken the prospect of a strong global agreement in Copenhagen in December” said Tony Mohr, Climate Change Manager of the Australian Conservation Foundation. Next Tuesday, March 10, the Government will release its draft legislation to implement the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. However, the 24 environmental, development and community organisations say that the proposed scheme is significantly flawed.
“The flaws in the proposed CPRS include the excessive compensation that will be provided to the biggest polluters” said Jane Holden, Executive Director Climate Action Network Australia. “Another flaw is that, by including a price cap, the proposed scheme places an artificial limit on the cost of pollution”.