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Rudd's White Flag of Surrender on Climate Change
The Rudd government has caved in to pressure from the big polluters. The “white paper” on climate change sets a target for emissions cuts of just 5% by 2020.
Kevin Rudd’s White Paper:
- Ignores the risks of catastrophic climate change
- Hands $billions to the big polluters
- Undermines international negotiations to avert global disaster
This is not “taking climate change seriously”. It is a white flag of surrender to the greenhouse mafia who ran climate policy in the Howard era. Corporate greed has won out over a liveable planet.
The Greens have joined climate scientists, sustainable business leaders, environmental organisations and thousands of Australians to condemn the pathetic greenhouse targets announced by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
"Prime Minister Rudd's 5% target is a global embarrassment and a recipe for global catastrophe," Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.
"The Rudd target of 5 per cent is exactly where John Howard would have placed Australia in 2009 - a spoiler as the Copenhagen conference on climate change reaches for a much higher goal."
Greens Deputy Leader and Climate Change spokesperson Christine Milne said today, "Kevin Rudd's White Paper has raised the white flag of surrender on climate change."
"Scientists agree that developed countries need to reduce their emissions by between 25 and 40 per cent by 2020 to avoid catastrophic climate change. Australia's high per capita emissions and our relatively cheap emissions reduction potential means we need to be at the top of that range, not doing less than everyone else.
NSW Greens MP John Kaye said: "NSW's coal-fired power stations and its two aluminium smelters are big winners in the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme White Paper while the state's renewable energy industry has suffered a major setback.
"The federal government plans to hand over 50 percent of the money raised from selling permits to the big polluters.
"Kevin Rudd wants to give free permits to NSW's coal burning power stations that are responsible for 37 per cent of the state's greenhouse gas emissions.
"He is effectively removing the need to transform this state's electricity industry.
Watch John Kaye speaking at the emergency rally the day after Kevin Rudd's announcement:
Real Solutions to Climate Change
The Greens understand that climate science is not just another interest group to “balance” against the others. It is not possible to negotiate with rising sea levels, increased bushfire intensity or the collapse of the Murray-Darling River and the food supply.
The Greens are calling for real solutions to the threat of catastrophic climate change:
- 40% cuts in emissions by 2020
- A renewable energy revolution that creates thousands of new jobs
- Infrastructure spending on public transport, not more roads
- A halt to the expansion of coal mines and coal exports (which will overwhelm domestic cuts)
- An end to the destruction of native forests
- Assistance for low-income households to reduce energy use
For More Information:
- Read the Australian Greens' response to the White Paper
- Read 2 Degrees to Midnight - the NSW Greens MPs' Guide to Climate Change Action
- Read the Energy and Climate Change page on this website
- Read John's media releases on energy and climate change issues
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