Today Greenpeace released this joint statement, together with over 50 Australian environmental organisations. Any day now the Federal Cabinet will be making a decision about the target for cutting greenhouse emissions over the next decade. It’s a crucial moment. We’ll find out what the target is on the 15th – when we will know if the Rudd Government are going to live up to their election promise of taking real action on climate change.
Here is the letter:
We need a strong target to cut greenhouse emissions
3rd December 2008
Dear Mr Rudd,
There is growing and disturbing speculation that the Federal Government’s soon-to-be announced interim target for emissions reductions will be in the range of 5 to 15 per cent by 2020.
The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified emissions reduction pathways that are required if we are to maintain a reasonable chance of avoiding catastrophic climate change. Based on these IPCC scenarios and an equitable distribution of per capita emissions between countries, developed country emissions need to be 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.
We, the undersigned, representing over 50 NGOs and community organisations, are concerned that even these targets (25 to 40 per cent) may be too low, with many scientific observations showing that climate change is happening faster than even the worst case IPCC models predicted.
Australia has a real opportunity to play a leadership role in the international climate negotiations, but the only way to do this is if we set a strong emissions reduction target at home.
If Australia announces a target of anything less than 25 to 40 per cent, it will send a negative signal to the world in the lead up to the crucial Copenhagen negotiations in December 2009, and will make a strong global agreement much more difficult to reach.
Australia’s response to climate change, and the targets you set over the next 12 months, will be the defining test of your leadership and future generations will judge our actions.
As Garnaut said, “On a balance of probabilities, the failure of our generation would lead to consequences that would haunt humanity until the end of time.”
A 5 to 15 per cent target would represent a profound failure.
We urge you to stand up to the pressure from the big polluters and adopt a strong emissions reduction target that will keep alive the possibility of a strong international agreement at Copenhagen in 2009.
Yours sincerely,
1. Steve Shallhorn, Executive Director, Greenpeace Australia Pacific
2. Greg Bourne, Executive Director, World Wide Fund for Nature
3. Don Henry, Executive Director, Australian Conservation Foundation
4. Nina Hall, Executive Director (Acting), Climate Action Network Australia
5. Jeff Angel, Executive Director, Total Environment Centre
6. Simon Sheikh, National Director, GetUp!
7. Virginia Young, The Wilderness Society
8. Cam Walker, Coordinator, Friends of the Earth Australia
9. Cate Faehrmann, Executive Director, Nature Conservation Council of NSW
10. Piers Verstegen, Director, Conservation Council of Western Australia
11. Toby Hutcheon, Executive Director, Queensland Conservation Council
12. Julie Pettett, Chief Executive Officer, Conservation Council of South Australia
13. Kelly O’Shanessy, Executive Director, Environment Victoria
14. Dr Elaine K. Harding, Coordinator, Cairns and Far North Environment Centre
15. Emma King, Coordinator (Acting), Environment Centre of the NT
16. Andrew Cox, Executive Officer, National Parks Association of NSW
17. Margaret Steadman, Executive Officer, Tasmanian Environment Centre Inc
18. Georgina Woods, Rising Tide
19. Sue Mathews, Trustee, The Mullum Trust
20. Phil Glendenning, Director, Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education
21. Mary Tinney, Coordinator, Sisters of Mercy Earth Link
22. Sr Geraldine Kearney, Delegate for Social Responsibility, Sisters of the Good Samaritan
23. Jill Finnane, Coordinator, Pacific Calling Partnership
24. Thea Ormerod, President, Australian Religious Response to Climate Change
25. Keely Boom, Director, Australian Climate Justice Project
26. Teresa Capetola, Climate Change and public health research cluster, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University
27. Julien Lacave, Projects Manager, Australia and New Zealand Solar Energy Society
28. Paul Murfitt, Chief Executive Officer, Moreland Energy Foundation Limited
29. Tessa Dowdell, Climate Convenor, Australian Student Environment Network
30. Janet Cavenagh, Clarence Branch of Climate Change Australia
31. Jacquie Svenson, Convenor, Climate Action Coogee
32. Lizette Salmon, WATCH, Wodonga & Albury Towards Climate Health (WATCH)
33. Annie Nielsen, Executive Member, Parramatta Climate Action Network
34. Bev Smiles, Central West Environment Council
35. Bob Phillips, President, Lake Macquarie Climate Action
36. Bradley Smith, University if Queensland Climate for Change
37. Jim Morrison, President, North Coast Environment Council
38. Carmel Flint, Co-ordinator, North East Forest Alliance
39. Carolyn Ingvarson, Convenor, Lighter Footprints Climate Change Action Group
40. Robin Knox, Project Manager, COOLmob
41. Dr Gabe Lomas, Association for Berowra Creek
42. Geoff Walker, Save Happy Valley Coalition Aotearoa
43. Janet Klein, Secretary, Adelaide Hills Climate Action Group
44. Tony Gleeson, Alstonville High School Community Sustainability Advisory Committee
45. Vanessa Morris, Executive Officer, SEE-Change
46. Shakti Burke, Kyogle Climate Action Network
47. Sheila Monahan, Convenor, South East Region Conservation Alliance
48. Sue Fielder, Ballina Climate Action Network
49. Tony Gleeson, Broadwater Community Dunecare
50. Sue Lewis, President, Climate Change Balmain-Rozelle.
51. Ben Henley and Vicki Brooke, Co-Convenors, Climate Action Newcastle
52. Erland Howden, Hills Against Global Warming
53. Roger Pye, President, Canberra Environment and Sustainability Resource Centre
54. Dr Mark Diesendorf, Deputy Director, Institute of Environmental Studies, UNSW
55. Dr Stewart Martin, Chair, South Australian Branch of the Australia and New Zealand Solar Energy
