NSW shows leadership in climate and bushfire crisis

Reports that the NSW Government will adopt a 2030 emissions reduction target with more ambition than Australia’s weak national plan is a positive step amid federal climate inaction.

In response to reports that the NSW Government will commit to lower greenhouse gases by 35 per cent by 2030, the Campaigns Director for the Australian Conservation Foundation, Dr Paul Sinclair, said:

“Reports that the NSW Government will adopt a 2030 emissions reduction target with more ambition than Australia’s weak national plan is a positive step amid federal climate inaction.

“It is also important the NSW Environment Minister, Matt Kean, has recognised that the use of so-called carryover credits – ultimately an accounting fiddle that much of the world has rejected – is inconsistent with responsible climate action.

“On these early reports it is unclear what base year the proposed 2030 NSW emissions reduction goal will be set on, nor would the reduction amount reflect the effort required to meet the Paris Agreement’s objective of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees. But the reported near-term target, coupled with the vow not to use carryover credits and the net-zero emissions goal for mid-century, could add up to strong step that puts to shame many of the NSW Coalition’s colleagues in Canberra.

“Overnight another major report has detailed that the Morrison Government’s planned use of carryover credits to reach its weak 2030 goal has no legal basis and reneges on pledges under the Paris Agreement to increase ambition.

“It follows the findings of the latest Climate Change Performance Index on Tuesday that ranked Australia near bottom for climate action and gave us 0 out of 100 for climate policy.

“By raising its ambition NSW is joining the league of other responsible states, many of which have been even stronger in tackling dangerous climate change and deploying renewable energy, such as Victoria and South Australia.

Mr Kean’s intervention yesterday to call a spade a spade and explain clearly the scientific evidence that the unprecedented bushfires and choking smoke across many parts of Australia have been fuelled by climate change was an important act of political leadership that has been sadly lacking in other quarters.

“ACF looks forward to the NSW Government releasing more details about its 2030 target and for the Berejiklian Government to further detail comprehensive clean energy and other transitions policies to stop all climate pollution.”

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