Is the Coalition dodging its climate responsibility?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is once again planning to dodge Australia’s responsibilities as a big polluter, with reports he will avoid signing up to a global agreement to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Media reports suggest the Morrison Government will instead adopt a technology investment target arguing it will naturally lead to emissions reductions.

“This is magical thinking on the part of Morrison. Companies will simply not invest in new technology without policy direction,” said the former head of BP Australasia, Greg Bourne.

“The direction has to be reductions in emissions, not a politician’s promise to have anyone but the Government invest,” he said. 

“Australia’s international reputation has been tarnished by our government’s poor record on climate action. We cannot turn up to the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow in November with more dodgy tricks,” said Mr Bourne, who is also a member of the Climate Council. 

“After this horrific bushfire season, Australians want to see clear, credible action on climate change, which means urgently reducing our emissions,” he said. 

“Let’s not forget that Australia is a major polluter. We are one of the world’s biggest exporters of coal and gas. If we do not act, then why should anyone else?” said Mr Bourne.

“Cleaning up our energy system, electrifying our transport, tackling industrial emissions are all vital steps,” he said. 

“We have the technology, we have the solutions to fix this. Renewables coupled with energy storage can take us to a net zero future, and can do so at a fraction of the price of polluting fossil fuels,” said Mr Bourne.

Do you think the Coalition is dodging its climate responsibility? Should it be doing more to protect Australians from the effects of climate change?

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19 comments

Gullable only in his belief that CO2 has increased in PPM but not % wise . It is still at .03%. 

Just another example of government shirking of real respoisibiilyt over real issues... not that anyone could expect better from their 'opposition'.

Australia needs to take responsibility for its own backyard when it comes to change of climate. Top of the agenda after our horrific fires is fuel management. In order to deal with the present and potential future carbon emissions we are to make, we have to stop digging the fuel from the ground and we have to manage the fuel we provide for the land to burn. Australia is a disgrace when it comes to taking responsibility for its future when dealing with nature and the power it has to designate our lifestyle and livelihoods. No miracles there!

Not sure that "Probably none" has much meaning Bazza, - 1/- it means you have no idea, 2/- what items and quantities have you evaluated, - would that be a Probably none also?

 

 Whatever, all countries are different, some countries have a very low individual contribution, Australia's is the highest individual contribution to global Warming, some countries have very limited renewable resources, we have one of the best and easiest available suite of Renewable resources in the world.

 

If we sensibly and progressively developed our renewable resources our economy would become something to be proud of to hand on to our children, - not only would we be self sufficient, but we could sell our vast excess of electricity to South East Asia, Earning immensely more than does our coal mining industry.

 

I Suppose the Hystericals are the ones who were in the path of unprecedented bush fires recently, - I suspect you would be a bit Hysterical if you were in that situation also..

 

Or maybe you are a younger person just realising how badly your elders have performed and how bad a future they are leaving you? - I personally am very concerned about my Grand childrens' chance of survival, - not hysterical, because my life experiences allow me to assist, but perhaps I would be hysterical if that was not the case, - just now I am too busy to be hysterical, - perhaps you could find something helpful to do for the next generation or two instead of trying to deny the problem?

Yes the Coalition is dodging its climate responsibility and its moral responsibility to the world.  Yes it should be doing more to protect Australians from the effects of climate change. Morrison and his government failed us with fire protection by refusing to meet with the fire chiefs to confer when they requested, by reducing funding and resources to Fire Services and the National Parks and Wildlife Service in the years leading up to 2019/20, by not buying the fire fighting planes we need, by not calling in the defence services earlier to help, by telling us Sydney always has bushfires and that volunteer fire fighters are there because they like fighting fires, that we were not to mention climate change and all sorts of other nonsense spieled by Morrison instead of realistic alarm, empathy and constructive leading. He and his government made a real hash of it, just as they had previously made a hash of water policy and can't think beyond farmers when it comes to the effects of drought which is affecting far more than farmers. This Coalition government has let us all down and will continue to let us down because the Coalition is weak, shallow, divided and shockingly ineffective on everything. 

Our environment and economy are interrelated and the idiots in Canberra can't seem to get that fact. When people who were fortunate enough to avoid fire trauma or more recently flood and storm damage are affected by the hip pocket then maybe we'll see the change of government and action on climate change we need. 

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