Advocates for climate action will return to Canberra on Tuesday 2 February, demanding the Government abandon its plan for a fossil fuel-dependent economic recovery.
The Peoples Climate Assembly will hold a rally on the lawns of Parliament House on the first sitting day of the year, to highlight the Australian Government’s nonsensical decision to favour gas over renewable energy to drive Australia’s post-pandemic recovery.
The rally will be addressed by a number of speakers, including former Wallaby star and social justice advocate, David Pocock. Community leaders including Shane Rattenbury and young climate activists, Aoibhinn Crimmins and Rosie Brady, have also lent their support.
Tuesday’s rally marks a year since the PCA’s last highly successful gathering on Federation Mall outside Parliament House.
‘Last year, as bushfires ravaged the country and shrouded the nation’s capital in thick, choking smoke, we saw an unprecedented display of community strength as thousands made their voices heard,’ said PCA spokesperson John Smith.
Mr Smith said the bushfire crisis rapidly gave way to storms and floods, and the Covid-19 pandemic which, in addition to far-reaching and tragic social and economic disruption, broke the enormous momentum that climate rallies had achieved.
‘On Tuesday, the people will gather again to tell the Government there is no more free ride,’ said Mr Smith.
‘We will not remain silent as the Government sets us on a dangerous path.’
Alongside the rally, the PCA has started a petition to the House of Representatives calling for a #GreenRecoveryNow.
The petition will be presented to the Parliament by Independent MP, Andrew Wilkie. It calls on the House to reject the spending of public money on a ‘gas-led recovery’ and, instead, develop a COVID recovery package that stimulates green jobs growth by immediately accelerating the transition to a net zero carbon economy.
‘A ‘gas-led’ recovery will only stoke the fires of climate change, and cost the nation dearly in terms of jobs, industry, environment and global reputation,’ John Smith said.
‘While countries and corporations around the world are abandoning fossil fuels, we have to ask ourselves why our Government is ignoring the very clear science and rapidly shifting market forces.’
As recently as last week, a new report by the Climate Targets Panel, found Australia’s 2030 emissions target essentially needs to be doubled. A member of the group, Professor Will Steffen, told the Peoples Climate Assembly that the “number one task” is to stop the expansion of fossil fuels, particularly the proposed expansion of the gas industry, “in other words, the so-called gas-led recovery”.
This report comes on top of those already published recently by Climate Works, the Grattan Institute, Beyond Zero Emissions and the Climate Council which outline strategies to stimulate short and long-term jobs growth and cut carbon emissions in energy, transport, buildings, industry and land use.
Spending to fast track Australia’s economic recovery from the COVID pandemic provides us with a unique opportunity to reset our economy to make it fit for the twenty-first century and to safeguard our future.
In February 2020, the PCA held a five-day event on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra, which brought people from all walks of life from across the country to protest the Government’s inaction on climate change. It culminated in a powerful 5,000 person-strong encirclement of Parliament House.
The PCA urges every Australian citizen or resident, including those under 18 – to sign the petition and, if possible, attend the rally. Registration for the rally is essential due to Covid-19 protocols.
The petition closes on 10 February and can be found here https://www.aph.gov.au/petition_list?id=EN2239
