Send a message to the Prime Minister: Please safeguard our future

We've pre-written a message for you that asks Mr Albanese to make the Safeguard Mechanism stronger.

Just add your details and a subject then hit send to send the message to the Prime Minister. 

What's at stake?

The Albanese Government’s reforms to the Safeguard Mechanism will determine whether Australia meets its 43% emissions reduction target. We need to reach 43% fast – and then raise our ambition to slash emissions even higher this decade. Otherwise extreme floods, fires, heatwaves and droughts will put all of our futures at risk.

A strong Safeguard Mechanism now would crack down on Australia’s biggest polluters and force them to actually cut emissions at their facilities, not on paper. But the Albanese Government's draft reforms have loopholes that will let big polluters like Woodside and Santos buy unlimited offsets and avoid actually cutting emissions. The Albanese Government must close the loopholes now.

Everyday people speaking up now can help our Prime Minister choose to safeguard our future, not Australia’s biggest polluters. Send him the message now.

Why the Safeguard Mechanism?

The Safeguard Mechanism puts a cap on how much Australia's biggest polluters can pollute. It currently regulates 215 facilities that produce the equivalent of 100,000 tonnes or more of CO2 a year (and worryingly the number of facilities is set to rise if the government allows the opening of new coal and gas projects).

With your urging, the Prime Minister can be pushed to make the Safeguard Mechanism stronger by:

• Slamming the door on Australia’s biggest polluters using accounting tricks and credits rather than making genuine emission reductions
• And making it tougher to open new polluting coal and gas projects.

The pre-filled message you will send asks Mr Albanese to close four loopholes to drive genuine emissions cuts this decade at Australia’s most polluting facilities:

1. Stop polluters purchasing carbon credits unless they first invest in genuine emissions cuts at their facilities. (This stops polluters from purchasing credits so that they can dodge genuine emission cuts)
2. When polluters must purchase carbon credits, make them prioritise Safeguard Mechanism Credits – created when other facilities in the Safeguard Mechanism reduce their emissions below their baselines – before being allowed to use Australian Carbon Credit Units. (This limits the use of junk credits with low integrity)
3. Make polluters phase out their reliance on Australian Carbon Credit Units. (This will push polluters to actually invest in cutting emissions at their facilities)
4. Ban new coal and gas facilities bringing their enormous pollution into the Safeguard Mechanism and purchasing carbon credits to cover it. (This prevents placing a huge burden on other facilities to stay within the emissions cap and results in less pollution into the atmosphere).

If you need help sending the message to the PM, call us on 1800 223 669 during business hours or email us at [email protected].