Reports that the Turnbull Government is further watering down national energy policy to accommodate more dirty coal power shows it has abandoned its responsibility to halt climate pollution, the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) says.
ACF chief executive, Kelly O’Shanassy, said the move to try to bolster new dirty coal power would be the latest in a long line of subsidies and special deals being handed out to the coal industry by the Turnbull Government.
“Our future is being held hostage by a small minority of climate change deniers in our political class,” Ms O’Shanassy said.
“The abandonment of serious climate change policy by the Turnbull Government to appease these ludicrous and anti-science views is dangerous and will fuel the global warming that is exposing Australians to more extreme and harmful weather events.
“Australians should be furious. The Turnbull Government is captured by ideology when the facts show that clean energy is the only form that is safe, sustainable and affordable.
“Australia has international obligations under the Paris Agreement to do its fair share to keep global warming at relatively safe levels. The Turnbull Government is breaching these obligations by further bolstering the dirty and polluting coal industry.
“Modelling we have commissioned shows that the weak target considered under the Finkel Review would put Australia on a path that would not rid pollution from its electricity supply until the end of the century, well out of step with the action needed to secure a safe planet. What the Turnbull Government is now proposing could be even worse than that.
“This is an abject failure by the Turnbull Government on its responsibility to protect Australians and ensure that we continue to enjoy a safe and liveable planet.”
Modelling on the emissions outcomes of different levels of Clean Energy Target ambition can be found here.
