Greens plan to tackle climate change matches the severity of our situation

Environment Victoria welcomes the Australian Greens’ “Renew Australia 2030” plan as the only major party policy released to date to adequately address the climate crisis facing Australia.

Environment Victoria CEO Jono La Nauze today said:

“After a summer of record-breaking heat, water shortages and bushfires, Australians are looking for a race to the top on climate policy. Elections like Wentworth and the Victorian state election have shown voters will abandon parties that fail to address climate change.

“The Greens’ target of 100% renewable energy is necessary and feasible. Leading scientists around the world have advised that developed countries need to reach zero greenhouse pollution from electricity by 2030 at the latest.

“Almost one third of Australia’s greenhouse pollution comes from 21 coal-burning power stations. Without a plan to phase out these generators, we can’t achieve the objectives of the Paris agreement.

“The Australian Energy Market Operator says with forward planning and investment we can run our electricity grid on 100% clean energy while improving security and reliability of supply.

“The Greens’ plan recognises the transition to clean energy will be better for the energy system and Australian workers and communities if it is actively planned by governments, not left to decisions taken in corporate boardrooms.

“Australia has been ranked as the most energy inefficient country in the developed world. Homes, businesses and industry are using more energy than they need to be, which means they’re spending more and our power stations are polluting more. Energy efficiency is a massive win-win, and we have a long way to go just to catch up with North America and Europe.

“The Greens policy makes it clear our climate efforts need to start with a rapid re-thinking of our energy sector, but also acknowledges that other sectors need to cut emissions.

“Global warming is a crisis facing human civilisation, and it is unfolding right now. We can choose to urgently move to 100% renewable energy and tackle climate change head-on, or we can surrender our future and our children’s future to the destructive forces of an earth hotter than anything humans have lived on before.

“This election is a climate election. But so far the Greens are the only party to put forward a climate policy capable of solving the problem in the time we have.

“Bill Shorten and Scott Morrison need to show they are taking our future seriously by releasing policies that will rapidly cut pollution and facilitate a fast and fair transition away from coal to 100% renewable energy.”