[Greens-Media] 2020 Summit needs climate science: New report shows the way

[Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)]

2020 Summit needs climate science: New report shows the way

Hobart, Monday 4 February 2008  Australian Greens climate change
spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, welcomed a new, detailed research
report released today by Friends of the Earth Australia, providing an
excellent example of how and why to put climate science at the heart of
climate policy and demonstrating the kind of thinking that will be vital
if Prime Minister Rudd's 2020 Summit is to be a success.

Senator Milne said "The 2020 Summit announced on the weekend could
provide the Rudd Government with extra stimulus towards serious climate
action, but the Prime Minister and Professor Glyn Davis must ensure that
the participants are well informed about climate science, as well as
economics. The authors of Climate Code Red, David Spratt and Phillip
Sutton, would be ideal nominees.

"In addition, the climate, peak oil and sustainability parameters must
be set prior to the 2020 Summit to avoid people making proposals that
have no hope of being achieved.

"It is troubling that both Prime Minister Rudd and Professor Garnaut
appear to see climate change in purely economic or political terms, and
are largely sidelining the science that lies at its heart.

"Certainly there are a host of political and economic issues that are
central to the climate policy debate, but there is one reason and one
reason alone for reducing carbon emissions - and that is to do our best
to reduce the risks of climate change as far as possible. That being the
case, there is only one basis for setting targets - a science-based
judgement of how much climate change we are willing to risk. Once that
science-based target is set, we must then sensibly and coherently work
out how to achieve it at least cost and as equitably as possible.

"Unless our emissions reduction targets are consistent with the best
available advice on reducing climate risks, they can be seen only as
political window-dressing rather than a serious attempt to grapple with
the greatest threat we face.

"The report released today, Climate Code Red, uses a survey of the
latest climate science to show that the Rudd Government's current
direction, including the terms of reference for the Garnaut Review,
leave us with an unacceptably high risk - more than 50% - of sending our
climate spinning out of control towards catastrophe.

"We in the Greens are currently grappling with the fact that global
warming, accelerating faster than scientists had predicted, is leaving
policy so far behind it is outdated as it is released. The current
ambitious policies of the Australian Greens, developed on the basis of
science 12-18 months ago, are now clearly too conservative. Where, then,
does that leave our new Federal Government, elected on a platform of
climate action far weaker than the Greens'?"

Contact: Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562

Tim Hollo
Media and Communications Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
Phone: + 61 (0) 2 6277 3063
Mobile: + 61 (0) 437 587 562
Email: tim.hollo at aph.gov.au
Skype: timhollo

Join the discussion at http://greensblog.org

www.christinemilne.org.au
www.youtube.com/senatormilne