[Greens-Media] Immediate action will bring results: 5 June ENVIRO DAY

[Manderson, Roland]

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ACT GREENS MLA DEB FOSKEY MEDIA RELEASE
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5 June 07 - ENVIRONMENT DAY

Immediate action will bring results

ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey and lead Senate candidate Kerrie Tucker have
joined forces today, World Environment Day, to call on all levels of
government to take immediate action on climate change, particularly on
energy efficiency as immediate and achievable. 

"The ACT Budget is being handed down today and I will be looking at all
portfolios to see how climate change has been factored in" Dr Foskey
said today.

"A renewed investment in public transport is the obvious place to start;
as is a boost to environmental protection to deal with threats to
biodiversity."

" I also hope to see a review of planning and housing polices in the
ACT, with climate change in mind,  and evidence that health and
emergency services are taking on board the new demands they will face"
Dr Foskey said.

Greens Senate candidate Kerrie Tucker has called on the Federal
Government to immediately put resources into increasing energy
efficiency across the country.

"Increased energy efficiency is relatively easy and buys us time. We
need a national energy efficiency target to bring down our emissions as
quickly as possible" Ms Tucker said.

"Some initiatives happen locally but others need a national approach.
We urgently need mandatory energy performance standards for equipment
and appliances, to match best global practice, and improved energy
efficiency rating for building codes across the country." 

"Australia is a wealthy country and can do so much better in terms of
energy efficiency. Even using very cautious assumptions, energy
efficiency improvements could achieve reductions of over 20%."

"The Federal Government has a responsibility to develop a coordinated
system, which ensures state based standards are consistent and promote
world's best practice."
 
"Such measures are basic to creating climate resilient cities."

"Climate Change needs to be factored into all policies, at a national as
well as a local level."

"I hope to see the finance industry extending "green" mortgages and
other loan products with lower interest rates for energy efficient homes
and buildings, leading to better economic and environmental outcomes" Ms
Tucker said.


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Roland Manderson   Media Advisor
ACT   Greens    MLA  Deb  Foskey  
Legislative Assembly for the ACT 
ph(02)62050551      m 0412241379
==== www.act.greens.org.au ===== 
  
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