The NSW Greens will be voting against the Government’s proposed climate laws unless amendments are agreed to that set more ambitious emissions reductions and require the Government to actually achieve the targets. The 50% emissions reduction target by 2030 and net zero by 2050 from the Minns Government are the same targets set by the former Coalition Government and will not legislate the existing 70% reduction by 2035 target. The law will also not require the Government to take any action to actually achieve the legislated targets.
The Greens have proposed amendments to the law that would allow targets that are more ambitious than what already exist and that would require the Government to act to achieve the targets in line with the guiding principles for climate action as described in the legislation.
As stated by Sue Higginson, spokesperson for climate change:
“The proposed laws that have been introduced into the Parliament don’t even set the bare minimum of binding, legislated emissions reduction targets. Even worse, the targets being proposed are weaker than those set by the former Government, with no interim target for 2035,”
“The Minister for Climate Change referred the Government legislation for review by a committee that I chair and the evidence from that inquiry was unequivocal. We need urgent action, including more ambition and binding targets, and that the law must be amended before passing the Parliament to give it any chance of meeting international obligations for climate action under the Paris Agreement,”
“We have been working very hard, along with other crossbench members and have put moderate amendments to the Government that would make the law consistent with the science and community expectation for climate action. So far, the Government has only agreed to consider very minor changes and it appears that rather than being serious about climate action they would rather pass legislation to tick off a pre election promise with zero ambition,”
“We must be honest about what the Government is doing, we cannot afford for the NSW community to believe that if this law is passed, then our state is taking adequate action to confront the climate crisis. This legislation will allow coal and gas expansions to continue and will contribute to global temperature increases beyond the 2 degrees celsius that science tells will be catastrophic on the world,”
“The Greens will not support legislation that doesn’t provide a mechanism for the targets to be binding on the Government and we will not vote for this climate law unless it will actually achieve climate action. We remain ready to meet with the Minister and the Premier, to make the changes that are necessary, and to make NSW a climate leader instead of just continuing on the same path that was set by the former Government,”
