SYDNEY, May 4, 2019 – While Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten lock horns over their policies, both are failing to address the climate emergency with credible plans.In response to the Australian Labor Party’s announcement of a new environment policy today, Greenpeace Australia Pacific said any party seeking to form government needs a plan to stop the climate and extinction crises.
“We are seeing droughts, floods, fires, extinction of native animals and utter ecosystem collapse like the frightful scenes at Menindee and the slow moving death of the Great Barrier Reef. This is happening on our watch. This is urgent. It is time this lot acted like it – they should start by calling it for what it is and declaring a climate emergency”, said Greenpeace CEO David Ritter.
“Labor’s commitment to a new EPA is welcome and overdue, but we also need laws worth enforcing, and the EPA will need sufficient resources to do their job.
“Both major parties also need to explain how we reverse widespread environmental destruction, end deforestation, save our coasts, start regenerating nature and protecting our precious species.
“Most critically, Labor needs to ramp up its ambition on climate change and fast. Shorten must rule out Adani, protect Australia’s whale nursery in the Great Australian Bight from oil drilling, and explain how he will replace coal with clean energy – while ensuring that this is done in fairly. He isn’t doing any of these things. Instead, last week we saw a $1.5 billion promise of taxpayer subsidies for big gas companies in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
“The real test for Bill Shorten’s team is not whether they are a bit better than the Coalition, but will the ALP actually do what is necessary to swiftly reduce the sources of pollution that are driving global warming?
“If Bill Shorten is to be the Prime Minister who the national interest requires, then all his talents and energies must be directed to reshaping Australia to meet the challenge of global warming.”
For interviews
Greenpeace Australia Pacific Communications Campaigner, Martin Zavan
0424 295 422
