The Coalition for Community Energy joined over 50 organisations across Australia calling on the Federal Government to set a target to cut climate pollution by 75% by 2030.
Here is the statement which was placed in newspapers across Australia.
Australia must slash climate pollution this decade
The Federal Coalition Government is split over a target for zero climate pollution by 2050. It is a misplaced argument about a distant target. Instead they should take immediate action.
Setting a zero target for 2050 is meaningless without concrete plans and investments to reduce climate pollution this decade.
The world’s leading climate scientists revealed this week that global warming is accelerating rapidly. Temperatures are on track to exceed the critical 1.5-degree of warming by the early 2030s if we don’t act now.
The United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, and Japan have committed to halving climate pollution this decade. But our Federal Government has a weak climate pollution target. On our current path, Australia won’t reach zero climate pollution until 2170.
Australia has abundant solar and wind resources. We can have new industries and jobs. But the Federal Government must prioritise renewable energy over gas and coal-fired power, or our economy will be left behind by our competitors.
We are experiencing more powerful storms, heatwaves, and megafires. Our response must match the urgency of this crisis.
The science shows we need to reduce climate pollution by 75% by 2030. We call on the Federal Government to commit to much stronger targets and a national plan to slash climate pollution this decade.