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MEDIA RELEASE: ??SHADOW CLIMATE MINISTER FLAGS "STRONG" ALP 2030/35 TARGET AS PRESIDENT OF UN SUMMIT URGES MORRISON GOV'T TO "STEP UP"

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Surry Hills, N.S.W., Aug. 19, 2021 /Medianet/ --

19 August 2021 | Australia – 


​​SHADOW CLIMATE MINISTER FLAGS “STRONG” ALP 2030/35 TARGET AS PRESIDENT OF UN SUMMIT URGES MORRISON GOV’T TO “STEP UP” 


Bowen says net zero by 2050 “not sufficient”


Video/ audio will be uploaded here as soon as possible after presentation concluding 4.30


In a keynote speech today at Australia's virtual climate summit, the Better Futures Forum, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, flagged a shift in Labor’s policy on climate, saying that a net zero by 2050 target is not enough to curb climate change, or support the greatest economic transformation since the Industrial Revolution, and that strong mid-term targets are needed.


Bowen signalled in his speech that Labor will take these targets to the upcoming Federal election. 


However, under questioning, Bowen said, “while there will be no gas-fired recovery – that is a fraudulent proposition – gas will play a part in the system for some time to come. I want Australia to be an export powerhouse of renewables. But we need to build the storage for it.” 


In a landmark report in May 2021, the International Energy Agency said that there can be no new coal or gas developments if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change.  


Bowen also declined to reveal what Labor’s mid-term emissions reduction targets will be, saying “I’m not going to give you a number today”. 


In his pre-prepared remarks at the summit, Bowen said:  “We must continue to lift our ambitions and efforts on climate change, which presents the most serious ongoing threat to our wellbeing.

 

“The IPCC report last week was simultaneously unsurprising and shocking… We must act quickly. We are now less than three months from COP26 in Glasgow. 


“Net zero emissions by 2050 is necessary – but not sufficient. If we want to achieve net zero in 2050, we can’t begin in 2049.

 

“Decarbonisation of the global economy is the greatest economic transformation since the Industrial Revolution. … The longer we leave it, the harder it will be to take advantage of the opportunities.”


“Most importantly, the extent of warming will be determined by aggregate emissions over the next decades, not just those in 2050.”


Bowen said Australia’s target of 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 inherited from the Abbott Government “pales in comparison to similar countries like Canada at 40-45 per cent, Japan at 46 per cent, and the United States at 50 per cent”.

 

“Reactionaries who argue we only represent a small share of global emissions miss a fundamental point. We are the world’s 14th biggest emitter. Are we really going to argue that the burden of climate action must fall on the 13 countries that are larger emitters than us, but not on the 177 countries that emit the same or less than us? These 177 countries account for 33 per cent of global emissions.

It’s a patently ridiculous argument.

 

“Australia should take a higher medium-term target to COP26 in November.

 

“It should be informed by the climate science, and by the economics of what we need to do now to achieve net zero by 2050.”

 

Bowen continued, “Good climate policy is good jobs policy. It is in our national economic interest to act. It’s clear now that the real economic risk is inaction – whether from carbon tariffs, the decarbonisation of global capital, or the physical impacts of climate change itself.

 

“Those market signals should be an important guide to the nature and pace of climate action.

 

“Governments should work with markets to not only reduce emissions, but to create jobs and national wealth. The world’s climate emergency is Australia’s jobs opportunity.

 

That understanding – that climate action can create jobs and cut power prices while reducing emissions – drives our policy approach in each sector.

 

“The regions must be at the centre of our climate and energy policies. A handful of regions have powered Australia for decades – They deserve our deep respect. But as the global economy decarbonises over coming decades, they also deserve our support, and our efforts to work with them, not foist plan upon them.


“Happily, these regions are best placed to power us into the future, because they have the best access to transmission lines and other vital infrastructure. They have the space necessary for large renewable and storage installations, and the skilled workforces that understand energy.”


Bowen concluded, “With the world moving ahead of Australia – and Australians moving ahead of their Government – there’s a unique opportunity to win the argument for climate action at the next election.

 

“Despite the inevitable scare campaigns, the reality of the opportunities of climate action is on our side.”


At today’s Better Futures Forum, Alok Sharma, President of November’s UN Climate Summit, COP26, said: 


“Extreme weather is on the march, made much more likely by the emissions that we are pumping into the atmosphere. Last year, Australia saw wildfires rage. 2021 saw devastating floods surge through China, India and Western Europe. And what is truly concerning is that the window of time we have to prevent these effects getting far, far worse is closing, fast.


“In 2015, the leaders of the world signed the Paris Agreement, agreeing to do all they could to limit the rise in temperature to well below 2 degrees and aiming for 1.5, because the science said this would avoid the worst effect of climate change. 


“But since the Paris Agreement the world has not done nearly enough and that is shown very clearly by the recent report of the IPCC.


COP26 in Glasgow must be the moment that every country and every part of society embraces their responsibility to protect our precious planet.


“We’re asking all countries to make solid net zero commitments for the middle of the century and short term emissions reduction targets to take them there.” 


“The major economies, the big emitters, are absolutely critical and I urge Australia to step up with big bold commitments ahead of COP 26 in November.”


___


Notes for Editors


The Better Futures Forum, concluding today, is the flagship event of Better Futures Australia (BFA), a network of hundreds of climate champions, ambassadors and partners representing seven million Australians from every sector of society and the economy, and over $218 billion in economic activity. More details here.


These leaders are demonstrating scalable climate solutions as they collectively urge the Federal Government to set emissions targets in line with our Paris Agreement obligations, the States and Territories, and our major trading partners and international allies. This requires Australia to at least halve emissions by 2030, if we are to have any chance of reaching net zero by 2050.


The Better Futures Forum was opened on Tuesday by Ban Ki-Moon and Matt Kean

Keynote and other speakers at the Better Futures Forum later today, Thursday 19 August,  include: 

  • Alok Sharma, President, COP26, the UN Climate Summit, Glasgow, November

  • Mayor Susan Aitkin, City of Glasgow

  • Chris Bowen, Shadow Federal Environment Minister

  • Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Team Leader, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organisation

  • Cathy Eatock, co-chair, Indigenous Peoples Organisation (peak body for 285 ATSI organisations).

  • Jess Scully - Deputy Mayor, City of Sydney.

Program here.

 

Available for interview (others available on request):

Michele O’Neil - President, ACTU

Dr Francis Wedin - Founder and CEO, Vulcan Energy

Jess Scully - Deputy Lord Mayor of City of Sydney 

Bishop Philip Huggins - President, National Council of Churches in Australia

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor - City of Adelaide 

Taylor Hawkins - Managing Director, Foundations for Tomorrow

Ryan Swenson - Head of Sustainable Development, Officeworks

David Barnden - Principal Solicitor, Equity Generation Lawyers

Pastor Ray Minniecon - Executive Member of Indigenous Peoples’ Organisation-Australia

Cathryn Eatock - Co-Chair of the Indigenous Peoples' Organisation-Australia 

 

 

AUSTRALIAN MEDIA CONTACT:

 

Annemarie Jonson 0428 278 880  annemarie@cana.net.au 


About Better Futures Australia

Better Futures Australia’s (BFA) members and key partners represent over seven million Australians and over $218 billion in GDP, assets and market capitalisation. BFA’s membership includes all signatories, champions and ambassadors. Out of the hundreds of member organisations, 70 have formally signed the Better Futures Australia Declaration which makes them a Signatory of the Alliances for Climate Action. BFA’s total representation does not suggest formal membership of the Alliances for Climate Action, but is an estimated calculation of the magnitude of the project. Find out more in our FAQs.

Better Futures Australia is supported by Climate Action Network Australia (CANA) which represents over 90 members working collectively to amplify climate action and drive further ambition at a national scale. Partners include ClimateWorks Australia; Investor Group on Climate Change; World Wide Fund for Nature Australia; Australian Council of Social Service; Australian Conservation Foundation; Climate and Health Alliance; Beyond Zero Emissions; Nature Conservation Council NSW; Australian Marine Conservation Society; The Sunrise Project; Fundación Avina; C40 Cities; ICLEI Oceania; Ironbark Sustainability; and The Climate Group.

For more about Better Futures Australia:

Contact: Lisa Cliff, lisa@cana.net.au, Program Manager, BFA, or the Better Futures Australia Secretariat contact@betterfutures.org.au 


INTERNATIONAL 

Better Futures Australia is part of Alliances for Climate Action (ACA), a global network of domestic multi-sector coalitions committed to supporting the delivery and enhancement of their countries’ climate goals, and collaborating to build the groundswell of climate action across the world. Through BFA, Australia is joining ACA partners in countries across the world, including the US, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, and Vietnam.

 

MEDIA CONTACTS:



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