ERF auction spends big for just 7 per cent #climate emissions reduction for 2030

This article was originally published at nofibs.com.au

Results from the third Direct Action Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) auction for emissions reduction was announced with 50.5 million worth of offsets at $10.23 each. So 67 per cent of the $2.55 billion budget has been spent to achieve less than 7 per cent of the emissions reduction goal by 2030.

This effort amounts to less than 3 per cent of what is required for Australia's fair share in global emissions reduction for staying under the 2 degrees C limit as enshrined in the Paris Agreement. Environment Minister Greg Hunt signed the Paris agreement in New York on 22nd April 2016. Australia also agreed with aspiring to meet the 1.5 degrees target, so even more effort is required from Australian climate policy.

But the Liberal National Party Government main policy instrument for reducing emissions is the Emissions Reduction Fund, which is clearly inadequate. Even our 2030 climate target of 26-28 per cent reduction by 2030 is ranked as inadequate.

Opinion: Tony Abbott's Direct Action climate policy not enough

The Latest IPSOS poll by Fairfax in December 2014 shows that most people think Tony Abbott's Direct Action Climate Change Policy is not nearly sufficient action for Australia to play it's fair part in addressing global warming.

This comes as Tony Abbott has sent Trade minister Andrew Robb, a major climate denialist in the Federal Liberal Party, to attend the Lima COP20 climate talks to keep Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in check from committing Australia from increasing our committment as other nations start increasing their commitments.



See story by Mark Kenny: Fairfax Ipsos poll shows climate change concerns heating up around Tony Abbott (Brisbane Times 8 December 2014)

More to follow...

Government Direct Action Climate Policy under scrutiny in Senate Estimates

During Senate estimates hearings the Abbott Government and officials of Federal Department of Environment were not able to provide even a rough estimate of how much the Direct Action climate policy would achieve of the Government's stated 5 per cent emissions reduction target on 2000 levels by 2020.

Greens Senator Scott Ludlum directed some tough questions at Senator Simon Birmingham, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and officers of the Department.

"As a percentage, how much of that 5 per cent target will direct action deliver?" Ludlum asked.

"It is premature to be specific around that" responded Dr Gordon De Brouwer from the Department of the Environment. He waffled on about the scheme and the Emissions Reduction Fund still needing to be designed with adequate safeguards incorporated, "without those key features it is very hard to say what the abatement will be specifically from the features." But Dr De Brouwer was adamant the government would be able to achieve the target.

Ludlum replied "Yeah, I think Minister Hunt has used the word confident quite a bit. If you don't have those numbers, you don't know, you can't tell me what proportion of the 5 per cent. On what basis does the Minister go out everyday proclaiming how confident he is? You haven't even designed the policy yet and it is the middle of 2014."

"Senator, a lot of design work has been done...." replied Senator Simon Birmingham, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment.

Another question from Ludlum: "I was going to ask if you had comprehensively mapped how you were going to reach that target? But you obviously haven't..."

Tim DeChristopher jailed for two years and fined $10,000 for climate civil disobedience

On July 26, 2011 in the Salt Lake City Federal courthouse Tim DeChristopher was sentenced to two years prison and a $10,000 fine for making false bids as 'Bidder 70' in disrupting auctions of public lands by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in December 2008 in the final days of the Bush Administration. DeChristopher was successful in 22 bids amounting to $1.8million and caused the prices to be bid up on many other parcels in bidding among the oil companies.

DeChristopher even offered an initial payment within two weeks to the BLM, but this was refused. Many of the parcels of land auctioned were subsequently ruled invalid by the Obama Adminstration, which underlines the injustice of this indictment.

Judge rules in favour of Hunter Valley coal protesters

Charges were dismissed against 49 climate activists under a section 10 ruling by an East Maitland Court magistrate yesterday. The protesters had committed non-violent civil disobedience at a climate camp against a new coal fired power station being built in the Hunter Valley in December 2010. The section 10 ruling means they have no conviction recorded, no criminal record and their fines dropped.

USA: Thousands march, about 100 arrested in Washington DC including climate scientist James Hansen

On the 27th of September, thousands of opponents of mountaintop removal coal mining converged on DC. Many were from West Virgina, Tennesee, and other areas devastated by this destructive mining practice. After blockading the EPA and PNC Bank, about 100 were arrested at the White House including NASA climate scientist James Hansen. This article is from DC indymedia.