Business, Unions, Environment Organisations outline Australian clean energy transition vital for jobs and new export revenues

There has been a range of reports just published on why Australia should accelerate transition and transformation to a clean economy and phase out Fossil Fuels. The Business Council of Australia On Sunday 10 October The Business Council Of Australia (BCA) released a report, reversing previous stance on a net zero target and upgraded 2030 interim emissions reduction targets.

Four days later a report by global services consultancy Accenture commissioned jointly by the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), WWF-Australia, ACTU and BCA was released - Sunshot: Australia’s opportunity to create 395,000 clean export jobs, charting a path for the country through the global transition to net-zero that delivers new jobs and replaces high carbon exports with clean export revenue.

These reports make it clear there are tremendous advantages in moving early with rapid ramp up of renewables, hydrogen, green steel, rare earth minerals, and services and training in the new energy economy. Thousands of jobs would be created, the great majority in regional areas allowing a transition of existing workforces with retraining in related or new skills. The benefits would flow to regional areas and the whole economy.

Carbon pollution subsidies outstrip climate change funding

New analysis done by the Australian Conservation Foundation shows that while funding and subsidies for solar power and climate change related programs has increased by $500 million per year, subsidies and concessions for fossil fuel carbon pollution related activies soared by $1.5 billion per year, 3 times as much.

Environmental Scorecards: Climate action missing in action from Major Party policy

The major parties have sidelined action on climate this election, delaying any policy on setting a carbon price and only taking small steps to encourage conversion to renewable energy or carbon emissions reduction. The Climate Institute, Australian Conservation Foundation, and the Wilderness Society have all heavily criticised both Government and Coalition parties while endorsing the supportive climate and environmental policies of the Greens.

While Prime Minister Julia Gillard 'believes' in anthropogenic climate change, her government's main climate policy is a proposed 150 person citizen assembly to build a community consensus on climate action and continuing renewable energy programs already started. The Government continues to reiterate that the introduction of an emissions trading scheme will not be reassessed until the end of 2012. Climate activists have criticised Julia Gillard over current ALP climate change policy.

Election Scorecards on Environment and Climate change policy

There has been a lot of policy hot air from the major parties, but on environmental and climate change policies the major parties really stink. Only the Greens rise above the murky effluent according to three election scorecard ratings by the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Climate Institute, and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. These scorecards will not surprise most readers of a climate for change, but they do provide an attempt to objectively assess the parties on environmental policy.

The Australian Conservation Foundation has rated Labor, Liberal and National, and Greens parties on four environmental criteria: Reduce Pollution, Clean Energy, Sustainable Cities, and Healthy Environment. The Greens have scored very well on all fours issues while the Labor party only achieves greater than 50% ranking on one, and the Liberals and Nationals scored dismally on all four.

"Australians want our leaders to make clean energy cheaper and help us save energy." said ACF Executive Director, Don Henry in a media statement.

"ACF welcomes the commitments by the Greens for increased investment in urban light rail systems and to investigate the feasibility of high speed rail to connect our largest cities. We urge the major parties to follow this lead by committing to re-balance the national transport budget - with two thirds being invested in cleaner, faster and affordable public transport systems - by the end of the next term of government.

According to the ACF's election scorecard the Greens achieved 81 points out of 100 while Labor and the Coalition were lagging behind on 33 and 15 respectively.

"Australians want our leaders to reduce pollution and protect our environment and at the moment, the Greens are leading on ACF's scorecard with Labor doing poorly, and the Coalition very poorly." said Don Henry.

Ranking the parties just on climate policy, then try the Climate Institute Pollute O Meter which rates the three major political groups. This ranking shows the Greens streets ahead on Climate Policy than both Labor and Liberal National Parties, although still not going far enough.

"By not committing to, or directly opposing, limits and price-tags on pollution both major parties lack credibility and locks Australia's economy onto a balloon ride to ever polluting skies." said John Connor, CEO of the Climate Institute in a media statement.

"There's plenty of room for improvement from both major parties in the remaining weeks. We need a limit and a price tag on pollution and credible commitments for pollution reduction, but there are still opportunities in land use, energy saving and cleaner energy policies," concluded Mr Connor.

While Climate Change has largely been downgraded as a priority for the major parties, with lacklustre policies that don't reflect the action that scientists say is needed, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition are campaigning hard for greater action. In a series of weekend POWER SHIFT summits in Adelaide, Geelong and Canberra in the lead up to the federal election, the AYCC is motivating young voters to be heard on this issue. The AYCC have also produced a scorecard on climate change which strongly favours the Greens ahead of the Labor Party and the Coalition a poor third.

Listen to Anna Gillam from The Wire from Community radio speaking to Adelaide organisers Joel Dignam and Heather Bruer: Election 2010: Young People demand action on climate change (MP3).

The AYCC have powershift events coming up in Canberra 7-8 August and in Geelong 14-15 August.

Environmentalists: Fuel Emission reduction policy well behind world's best practice

Policy Plans released by Julia Gillard and her Climate Change Minister Penny Wong for mandatory vehicle fuel efficiency standards and a $2000 rebate for trading in pre-1995 cars for new fuel efficient vehicles, were cautiously welcomed by environmentalists while being criticised for not going far enough and being funded by cuts to other climate change action programs such as Carbon Capture and Storage and solar energy. "Under this plan, Australia's fuel efficiency standards for new vehicles will be about a quarter of a century behind China's when they are eventually law. We must make our cars cleaner quicker." said Don Henry, Australian Conservation Foundation executive director.

Australian emission standards are currently voluntary. Under the envisaged mandatory standards emissions from light vehicles would reduce by 14 per cent by 2014 and 30 per cent by 2024 based upon 2008 emission levels. While Government modelling suggests a significant fuel saving - a typical motorist could save around $600 per year on fuel costs - the estimated amount saved could prove elusive due to the threat of peak oil to affect major increases in petrol prices in the next decade. The government has not released petrol price modelling to check their figures.

The car industry has welcomed the $394 million plan to give motorists a rebate on trade-ins between January 2011 and the end of 2014.

The Australian Conservation Foundation questioned why the 30 per cent emission reduction would not be introduced until 2024 when many countries already have mandatory fuel emission requirements. "Australians want healthier cities and more efficient cars, but the standards announced today are weaker than European standards and certainly not world's best practice," said Don Henry. "Europe, the United States, Japan, China, Taiwan and South Korea have all had mandatory fuel efficiency standards for new cars for years. China's new car fleet was already more efficient than Australia's in 2002."

Greens Climate Change spokeperson Senator Christine Milne welcomed the initiative but criticised the Government for cutting back renewable energy programs to fund it, and the lack of a carbon price mechanism being set to fund such initiatives. "Prime Minister Gillard's refusal to legislate for a carbon tax means that she does not have a source of funding for climate initiatives and it is completely wrong to take money out of Australia's renewable energy future to pay to take clunkers off the road." she said.

"The Greens would take the money from coal via a carbon tax, or from fuel excise, whereas the Prime Minister's rhetoric on climate change is becoming even more hollow as she prepares to attack the solar industry one again. Prime Minister Gillard seems to think that nobody cares if only two of the 52 applications in the solar flagship program are funded, but she will find that Australians do care about the solar industry and will not look kindly on this daylight robbery from the solar sector." said Senator Milne.

Sources

• Australian Labor Party Policy News, July 24, 2010 - New emission standards for cars
• Media Release - Australian Conservation Foundation, July 24, 2010 - Make cars cleaner quicker
• Media Release - The Greens, July 24, 2010 - Labor steals from solar to pay for old clunkers

Protection of Murray River redgum wetlands 'sold down the river' by NSW government

The NSW Government has been heavily criticised for delaying protection to the iconic Murray redgum wetland forests. The Australian Conservation Foundation has called on Federal ministers Peter Garrett and Penny Wong to intervene regarding the Millewa forests. “Legislation introduced by the NSW Government would see the healthiest half of the Millewa wetland forests logged intensively for the next five years and all of the Pericoota-Koondrook forests logged for the foreseeable future,” said ACF Campaign Coordinator Lindsay Hesketh, “Federal ministers Peter Garrett and Penny Wong need to make sure the NSW Government rethinks and strengthens this piece of legislation immediately.”

The stunningly beautiful Barmah-Millewa forest is located between Echuca, Deniliquin and Tocumwal, covering an area of approximately 66,000ha. It is the largest river red gum forest in the world. It comprises of the Barmah Forest on the Victorian side of the river, protected by the Victorian Government in November 2009, and the Millewa Forest on the New South Wales side.

Former NSW Premier Nathan Rees’ ordered an independent regional assessment of the state’s internationally renowned Red Gum wetland forests in July 2009, available from the Natural Resources Commision. Environment Minister Frank Sartor in an exercise in political spin and greenwash announced the NSW Government Approves Key NRC Recommendations (PDF) on March 2, 2010.

Barmah-Millewa is listed under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. The forest provides major breeding sites for waterbirds, including visiting migratory birds listed under international treaties with Japan (JAMBA) and China (CAMBA) such as the Glossy Ibis, Caspian Tern and Painted Snipe. It also provides habitat and food sources for native fish, has diverse plant associations and supports rare and threatened plant species.

“This legislation would turn the best part of the largest redgum wetland forests on Earth into low value wood products and firewood. The NSW Government has thumbed its nose at the recommendations of its own independent expert committee which made strong recommendation around the protection of these precious forests." said ACF Campaign Coordinator Lindsay Hesketh.

The legislation was introduced into the NSW parliament on April 10, with environment groups calling it a triumph of spin over substance. “The Bill introduced into Parliament today fails the environment - allowing industrial logging to continue in almost 20,000 hectares of the magnificent and iconic Millewa forest” said Ms Carmel Flint, spokesperson for the National Parks Association of NSW.

Peter Cooper, campaigner for The Wilderness Society said “The so-called ‘transition’ logging in Millewa is a great big con that has been rejected outright by environment groups from around NSW and Australia. The Red Gum Bill will destroy the habitat of threatened species like the Koala, Superb Parrot and Squirrel Glider, just so that cheap Red Gum firewood can be trucked to Melbourne. The NSW Government has turned its back on the best scientific advice and is now undermining the
environmental recovery of the Murray-Darling Basin."

Greens MP Ian Cohen said the legislation failed on jobs and environment. "I can see the opportunities that will be lost if the Government doesn’t rethink the situation to allow logging in Millewa and communicate with the Yorta Yorta. The Traditional Owners have explained to me today that more logging in Millewa is a bad outcome for the River Country and also a bad outcome for their people.”

The creation of the Barmah National Park in Victoria has already provided five new ranger positions to Yorta Yorta people.

Mr Neville Atkinson, chairperson of the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation said “The Yorta Yorta Traditional Owners want to work with the NSW Government to manage a world class National Park, that fully protects the Millewa forest, to explore and develop all the socio-economic opportunities that will provide for both the broader community and the state of NSW,”

“After more than 200 years of damage and destruction, Yorta Yorta say it is time right now to start the long path to recovery of the Murray River and its floodplain, not in five years time or ten years time. I will be taking their views back to the Parliament” Mr Cohen said.

The Murray Darling Basin Authority has announced that Millewa is one of the most important key indicator sites or environmental assets in the Murray Darling that it would aim to protect and restore through its water reform processes.

Sources:

• Australian Conservation Foundation Media Release, April 23, 2010Fed Govt must step in to protect Murray wetland forests
  
• Australian Conservation Foundation Media Release, April 10, 2010Red Gum Bill fails the environment
  
• National Parks Association of NSW - Saving the River Red Gums
  
• Ian Cohen MLC, NSW Legislative Council, media release Mar 26, 2010, NSW Labor Riverina Red Gums deal fails on jobs and environment
  

APEC: The Sydney Declaration a Climate Distraction

While thousands of people protested in the streets of Sydney about the war in Iraq, climate change, and civil liberties, the 21 APEC leaders made a fashion statement on the steps of the Opera House, before meeting inside and signing the Sydney Declaration - a statement on climate change, that is being widely criticised by environmentalists and climate activists.

According to details from a draft of the declaration being widely circulated by the media, the APEC wide regional aspirational goal is to reduce energy intensity by at least 25 percent by 2030 from the 2005 level, and set an APEC-wide regional goal of increasing forest cover in the region by 20 million hectares by 2020.

About the Sydney declaration Australian Prime Minister Howard said "Firstly the need for a long-term aspirational global emissions reduction goal, and that is enshrined in the Sydney Declaration," he said. "Secondly the need for all nations, no matter what their stage of development, to contribute according to their own capacities and their own circumstances to reducing greenhouse gases."

Prime Minister John Howard and US President George Bush will play up the Sydney Declaration as a win for combatting climate change but Howard has already been effectively contradicted by his own foreign minister Alexander Downer. In April 2007, Alexander Downer told an APEC lecture in Melbourne that aspirational targets are a "political stunt" and "not a real target at all".

"I think you have to face up to the fact that, within the APEC group, there are Economies… that believe in setting CO2 emission targets, by particular dates. Some of them, of course, are just aspirational targets: which is code for “a political stunt”. An aspirational target is not a real target at all.” said Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer at the Monash APEC lecture.

Greenpeace spokeperson Catherine Fitzpatrick said "If this statement is the platform we build future climate change action on, the world is in trouble," she said. "Because this is a statement with no recognition of binding targets, it has no targets for the future. Without binding targets for developed countries, it's little more than a political stunt by the prime minister."

Executive Director of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Don Henry, told the Herald Sun "Today's declaration does not advance global discussions on climate change. History shows vague aspirational goals do not lead to reductions in greenhouse emissions. The Kyoto Protocol was established precisely because the aspirational targets of the early 90s failed to stop the spiralling rise in global emissions."

Australia and the USA are the only two developed nations who have not signed the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement on reducing emissions to the year 2012.

The Chinese President, Mr Hu in a speech on September 7 called on countries to uphold the Kyoto Protocol and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, calling them "the core mechanism and main avenue of co-operation" for tackling climate change.

Developing nations were determined not to sign up to a specific goal on emissions, especially when Australia and the USA, the two biggest greenhouse gas polluters on a per capita basis, had not signed up for the Kyoto targets.

The Governments of the USA and Australia do not want to work within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) framework after Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, and are actively undermining any such agreement that follows on using this framework. The next meeting of the United Nations Climate Change Conference is in Bali, 3 - 14 December 2007.

Source:

* Alexander Downer, 19 April 2007, Monash APEC lecture (PDF)
* Greenpeace Sept 6, 2007, Downer admits aspirational goals “political stunt”
* Melbourne Herald Sun, Sept 8, 2007, Greenpeace slams APEC climate pact
* ABC Online Sept 8, 2007, Leaders wear Driza-Bones for APEC photo