The peak conservation councils around the country today called on both sides of politics to reject the amended and now fatally flawed emissions trading legislation and instead commit to action that will reduce Australia’s emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2020.
Earlier this year, the groups outlined a suite of measures that can be in place within two years to put Australia within reach of halving its greenhouse emissions within a decade in a report, Plan B: an Agenda for Immediate Climate Action, available here.
“The biggest opportunity to address greenhouse gas emissions we have ever had has been squandered by locking Australia into providing billions in compensation and exemptions to big polluters for the next 10 years, according to the environment organisations,” Nature Conservation Council of NSW Executive Director, Cate Faehrmann, said today.
“Neither of the major political parties have the courage to break the stranglehold of the coal lobby and other polluting industries on climate policy and do what’s right for the wellbeing of the community and the planet.”
Further quotes and information in media release
Media enquiries:
Nature Conservation Council of NSW Cate Faehrmann 0402 207 043
Queensland Conservation Toby Hutcheon 0419 664 503
Environment Victoria Kelly O’Shannassy 0439 700 501
Conservation Council of Western Australia Piers Verstegen 0411 557 892
Conservation Council of South Australia Julie Pettett 0417 879 439
Environment Tasmania Phill Pullinger 0428 554 934
Environment Centre NT Stuart Blanch 0448 887 303
Conservation Council of ACT Region John Hibberd 02 6229 3202 or 0428 596 046