New IPCC report shows Australia must slash climate pollution this decade

A landmark report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has highlighted the urgent need for deep cuts to greenhouse gas pollution this decade, Environment Victoria said today.

“While the federal Coalition bickers about a 2050 target, this new IPCC report shows we need urgent action in the next few years, not the distant future,” said Environment Victoria Campaigns Manager Dr Nicholas Aberle.

“As the state with the dirtiest power stations in the country, Victoria has a crucial role to play in cutting emissions rapidly over the next ten years.

“The International Energy Agency recently called for all ‘subcritical’ coal power stations in rich countries to close by 2030, which means it’s time to start planning for much earlier closures at the two Loy Yang power stations in the Latrobe Valley.

“AGL’s plan to keep Loy Yang power station polluting until 2048 is a complete fantasy and wildly out-of-step with international agreements to keep warming under 2 degrees, let alone under 1.5 degrees.

“The IPCC report assesses climate science published since 2013, and one of the key findings from these studies is that methane gas has a greater warming effect on the climate over the short term than previously thought.

“In light of this new evidence, governments around the country should rule out new gas infrastructure and concentrate on cleaning up our electricity system with renewables and storage. At the same time we need to shift from using gas to electrical appliances.

“We’re pleased to see the Victorian government taking up this challenge with a gas substitution roadmap, which should aim to get our state off gas as soon as possible.

“The IPCC report also includes a regional fact sheet for Australia, which shows heatwaves and dangerous fire weather have already increased. This is just a taste of what’s in store if we don’t rapidly change course.

“The federal Coalition’s contrived hand-wringing about net zero by 2050 is a cynical distraction from the main game, which is what happens in the next ten years.

“Australia should be aiming to cut greenhouse gas pollution by 75% by 2030. If Morrison can’t hold a hose to put out this fire, he should get out of the way and let the states step up,” said Dr Aberle.