The Greens will introduce a bill to “ditch Scott Morrison’s climate targets” and legislate a 75% emissions reduction target by 2030, reaching net zero by 2035, in Queensland.
The bill will also ban new coal, oil and gas resources projects in Queensland and phase out fossil fuel exports by 2030.
Greens MP Michael Berkman:
“Voters rejected Scott Morrison’s weak emissions targets at last year’s Federal election, yet Queensland Labor’s are almost the same.
“Queensland is both a major contributor to the climate crisis and on the frontlines of some of its worst impacts, so we have a responsibility to seriously cut emissions in the coming decade.
“Labor’s increased ambition to expand renewable energy is great, but piling renewables on top of fossil fuels doesn’t reduce emissions.
“Labor’s targets are based on politics, but these are based on science.
“A year on from the floods, people in my electorate are still picking up the pieces yet Labor seems to have forgotten them.
“The Government’s current policy would mean more devastating floods, fires and heatwaves, higher grocery prices, skyrocketing insurance premiums and sudden job losses.
“Accepting the climate science means getting out of fossil fuels completely, which is why our bill will also ban new coal and gas approvals and phase out fossil fuel exports by 2030.
“Our bill would require the State Government to work with stakeholders on a clear resource industry transition plan that replaces coal and gas production with guaranteed new jobs.”
Background
The Greens bill will also ban new coal and gas approvals.
While the State Government’s 2022 Energy and Jobs Plan included a commitment to expand renewable energy and reduce energy sector emissions, it made no change to the Government’s emissions reduction targets of 30% by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Those targets are similar to the former Morrison Government targets of 26-28% by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Independent modelling shows these targets are not consistent with the objectives of the Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius.
To meet those objectives Australia must reduce its emissions by approximately 74% on 2005 levels by 2030, and reach net zero by the mid 2030s.