[Greens-Media] Garnaut's call to action - Greens call for urgent Budget action to reduce emissions

[Bennett, Ebony (Sen B. Brown)]

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Garnaut's call to action

Greens call for urgent Budget action to reduce emissions

Australia cannot afford to wait for the final Garnaut report - still six
months away - before implementing urgent action to reduce carbon
emissions, and the Rudd government must act in the May Budget, the
Greens said today.

"The interim Garnaut report calls for urgent, dramatic action to reduce
emissions and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd should respond in May with a
green, climate-focused budget," Greens climate change spokesperson,
Senator Christine Milne said.
,
"For a start, the razor-gang should be targeting the $9 billion in
subsidies the fossil fuel industries receive annually, instead of public
service jobs" Senator Brown said.

"Every month the Rudd government delays action to reduce Australia's
emissions will cost the environment and taxpayers more in the long run,"
Senator Brown said.

Senator Milne warned that the Review must look at much tighter emissions
targets in order to be scientifically credible.

"Yes, it will be difficult to meet tighter targets, but this is what the
science demands and we need a clear-eyed assessment of the task ahead,"
Senator Milne said.

"Professor Garnaut should abandon modelling emissions trajectories at
the upper end of his range, which are clearly far higher than our
climate can sustain," Senator Milne said.

"As McKinsey and Co reiterated last week, energy efficiency and ending
the logging of native forests are the easiest, cheapest and fastest ways
to rapidly and substantially reduce Australia's emissions," Senator
Milne said.

Further information: Ebony Bennett 0490 164 603 (Senator Brown)
Tim Hollo (Senator Milne) 0437 587 562




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Ebony Bennett
Media Adviser
Office of Greens Senator Bob Brown
Mobile: 0409 164 603
Ph: (02) 6277 3170
Fax: (02) 6277 3185	

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