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Dear Green friends,
I am very happy to let you all know about the Greens role in Australia’s carbon price and climate action package announced yesterday. The agreement negotiated by the Greens with the Labor Party is a historic first step towards a clean energy economy – and a long overdue one for Australia!
The key features of the climate action package that will put a $23 per tonne price on carbon pollution are:
- lifts Australia’s 2050 emissions target to 80%;
- invests $10 billion in renewable energy that will be overseen by an Independent Renewable Energy Agency that will also start planning for a 100% renewable energy future;
- will begin to close the dirtiest of Australia’s coal-fired power stations and prevents the building of new commercial coal-fired power stations;
- ensures that emission intensive industry compensation will be based on rigorous independent analysis rather than self-assessment;
- limits the use of international offsets;
- establishes an independent expert Climate Change Authority will be established to recommend targets and caps for when the scheme moves to flexible pricing
- makes voluntary action to cut emissions count; and
- invests $1.7 billion in protecting biodiversity and supporting farmers.
While a climate action package designed by the Greens would have been more ambitious straight away, what we have achieved is a firm foundation for the future.
The Greens put climate action back on the political agenda after a federal election campaign during which it was a low priority for both the Labour Party and the Conservative Coalition. It was the Greens initiative to establish a Multi-Party Climate Change Committee to deliver a carbon price as a condition for our support for Julia Gillard’s minority government. We have spent the last 6 months negotiating strongly and in good faith and now the Greens have delivered a truly transformative package for the Australian community, economy and climate.
Please visit our website for a more detailed briefing paper about the entire package and for a range of other releases and news.
One of our major hopes from Australia’s recent announcement is that provides a boost to the upcoming international climate negotiations in Durban.
Regards,
Senator Christine Milne
Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Climate Change SpokespersonSuite SG-112 Parliament House, Canberra ACT | P: 02 6277 3588 | M: 0437 587 562
http://www.christinemilne.org.au/| www.GreensMPs.org.au
In picture from left – Senator Christine Milne, Senator Bob Brown and Prime Minister Julia Gillard
07/13/2011 – 12:00
