Parties offer weak change on climate

Adelaide Advertiser
Thursday 18/10/2007 Page: 19

THE first comprehensive assessment of the climate and environment policies political parties are taking into this election campaign has some sobering results. The Australian Conservation Foundation's scorecard of major political parties on climate change, water and other environmental issues shows Liberal and Labor scores below 50 per cent. There is clearly a long way to go.

While Labor has committed to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and the Coalition has not, looked at overall, the parties are failing on climate change and environment. Modest to weak climate change policies, poor protection for forests (including bipartisan support for the Tasmanian pulp mill, locking in forest destruction in the island state for decades) and a lack of action on water and sustainable cities mean both major parties have scored poorly. The Greens and Democrats are rating well and Family First's scores are low.

Modelling by Allen Consulting last year for the Business Roundtable on Climate Change (IAG, Origin Energy, BP, Visy, Westpac, Swiss Re and ACF) showed Australia can make deep cuts to greenhouse emissions and still have a healthy, growing economy. In fact the modelling showed the longer we delay serious action, the more it will cost. A 25 per cent renewable energy target, along with energy efficiency measures, would generate $33 billion in new investment and deliver 16,600 new jobs - many in rural and regional Australia. The other thing we really need to do is join the global effort by ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.

The threats of dangerous climate change to Australia - more severe droughts, heatwaves, bushfires and cyclones - and the annual $3.8 billion loss of Australian business opportunities, because we cannot gain credits under the Kyoto Protocol's carbon trading mechanisms, are strong reasons for Australia to reconsider its role as a Kyoto blocker. And there is another powerful reason too. We only have observer status in the crucial post-2012 discussions between the 174 countries that have ratified Kyoto, to be held in Bali in December. We are going into this meeting with one hand tied behind our backs.

To start the transition to a better, more sustainable future, all political parties and candidates need to commit to binding targets to cut emissions, they should legislate to massively boost the amount of electricity sourced from clean, safe renewable energy and should immediately ratify the Kyoto Protocol. They should rule out the use of dangerous, toxic nuclear reactors in Australia's energy future and selling uranium to the region. They should not delay restoring our rivers to health, protecting old growth forests and securing our urban water supplies. ACF urges all parties to go for a high distinction on these issues by campaign's end. Our children's future deserves nothing less. Voters expect nothing else.

Visit www.acfonline.org.au/scorecard for more information.

Don Henry is ACF executive director