[Greens-Media] Greens offer Government 'new way forward' for meaningful climate action

[Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)]

Greens offer Government 'new way forward' for meaningful climate action

Thursday 13 August 2009

The collapse of Mr Rudd's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme presents
Australia with a great opportunity to move ahead with meaningful climate
action, the Australian Greens said today in a letter to the Prime
Minister and Climate Change Minister, Penny Wong.

The letter calls on the Minister and Prime Minister to commence
discussions with the Greens on a suite of measures to begin reducing
Australia's emissions immediately. This includes bringing on the
Renewable Energy Target legislation on Monday and moving towards a
renewable energy feed-in tariff, forest protection, clean transport and
comprehensive energy efficiency upgrades.

"The collapse of the Continue Polluting Regardless Scheme provides
Australia with a great opportunity to move ahead with ambitious action
on the climate crisis," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator
Christine Milne, said.

"The CPRS would have locked in failure on the climate crisis with its
inexcusably weak emissions target and its $16 billion handout to
polluters. Three in four Australians support the Greens' decision to
reject the bill if the Government refused to toughen it up.

"The collapse of the CPRS opens the door to a suite of other measures
that can be implemented immediately, before an amended CPRS returns to
the Parliament, in order to begin reducing Australia's emissions without
delay.

"Now is the time to move ahead, re-powering Australia with renewable
energy, upgrading our energy efficiency, shifting to sustainable
transport and protecting our vast and wonderful forest carbon stores.

"We Greens are calling on the Government to immediately bring on the
Renewable Energy Target legislation, to unleash the tremendous potential
of renewable energy to repower Australia and create tens of thousands of
jobs.

"Both the big old parties have been using Australia's clever and clean
renewable energy industry as a political football. Both old parties bend
over backwards to sandbag the old polluters, but neither is willing to
give priority to the renewable energy powerhouse that the Australian
community wants."

The letter, from Senators Brown and Milne to Prime Minister Rudd and
Minister Wong, sets out the Greens' proposals for an amended emissions
trading scheme, as well as complementary measures on forest protection,
renewable energy, sustainable transport and energy efficiency.

"We invite the Government to immediately engage in constructive
discussions with the Greens on this proposal, so we can together create
meaningful action on the climate crisis."


Tim Hollo
Media Adviser
Senator Christine Milne | Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Climate
Change Spokesperson
Suite SG-112 Parliament House, Canberra ACT | P: 02 6277 3588 | M: 0437
587 562
http://www.christinemilne.org.au/| www.GreensMPs.org.au
<http://www.greensmps.org.au/> 



	
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