The Victorian Greens are highlighting the Victorian Labor Government’s shocking record on coal and the inadequacies of their renewable energy target in the lead up to Friday’s global climate strike in Melbourne.
KEY FACTS
- Victoria burns more coal per year than the proposed Adani mine will produce each year.
- Victoria’s three brown coal power stations burn a combined total of around a million tonnes of coal per week.
- Victoria’s Yallourn power station is Australia’s oldest and most polluting coal-fired power station.
- Victoria’s energy sector will still produce 33.9 million tonnes of carbon pollution in 2030 – down from 35.9 – if the Government achieves its 50 per cent renewable energy target.
- The Victorian Greens will move to amend the Government’s Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Amendment Bill 2019 (due to be debated in the Legislative Council) to increase Victoria’s renewable energy target to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
Acting Leader of the Victorian Greens, Sam Hibbins MP, said the Government needed to phase out its old, polluting and unreliable coal-fired power stations, and adopt a 100 per cent renewable energy target to effectively address climate change.
Hibbins added that it was important for the Government to act on the demands for greater action on climate change in Victoria from the tens of thousands of impassioned people expected at Treasury Gardens this Friday.
As stated by Acting Leader of the Victorian Greens, Sam Hibbins:
“On Friday young people will be striking for their futures and demanding urgent action from all Governments, who have so far let them down on climate change.
“Victoria is burning more coal per year than the proposed Adani coal mine will produce and is home to Yallourn, Australia’s most polluting coal fired power station.
“Even with the Government’s 50 per cent renewable energy target, Victoria will still be producing tens of millions of tonnes of carbon pollution every year.
“It’s not good enough to leave the end of coal up to the market. Tens of thousands of Victorians will march for greater action on climate change this week and the state Government must listen and act.
“Their first major test on climate following the strike will be whether they vote for the Victorian Greens’ upcoming amendment to bring Victoria to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.”
