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New analysis from the national Climate Change Authority shows the Liberal and National Parties’ nuclear scheme would breach Australia’s commitment to international climate pollution targets and break their promise to phase out climate pollution by 2050.
“This independent analysis confirms earlier assessments that under opposition leader Peter Dutton’s nuclear scheme Australia will not reduce climate pollution by 43% by 2030, which would breach our international commitments,” said Senior Campaigner at Solutions for Climate, Elly Baxter.
“The Frontier Economics modelling the Liberal and National Parties are relying on shows the electricity grid would not reach net zero climate pollution until 2049 and would be 44% smaller than the government’s proposed grid. This would make it impossible to decarbonise the rest of our economy – all our transport, all our manufacturing and all our homes.
“Australians voted overwhelmingly for action on climate change and renewable energy at the last election. Mr Dutton insists that he will maintain our international commitment to the Paris Agreement and reach no net climate pollution by 2050, but the proof is in numbers. As we head to the polls in the coming months, voters need to be aware that Mr Dutton’s words do match his scheme.
“This matters enormously for all Australians. Yet again we are facing increasing climate disasters this summer – fires in the south and floods in the north. More Australians would be killed and homes and livelihoods lost if we push billions more tonnes of climate pollution into the air,” Baxter concluded.
The Coalition’s nuclear scheme includes nuclear reactors at seven sites across Australia. Modelling by Frontier Economics, released by the Coalition, shows an electricity grid that is 44% smaller than the government’s plan to use renewable energy like wind and solar with storage. The scheme would cap renewable energy at 54% when our grid was already powered by 46% renewable energy in the December quarter.
On the first sitting day of the year, over 80 community groups representing tens of thousands of Australians endorsed a statement objecting to Dutton’s nuclear push:
“We object to the Liberal and National parties’ nuclear proposal as it is incapable of cutting climate pollution this decade and upgrading our electricity grid in a timely manner,” the statement reads.
“We call for Peter Dutton and the Opposition to abandon the pursuit of nuclear reactors. It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
These groups, representing tens of thousands of Australians from all walks of life, are calling for policies that will:
- Accelerate the rollout of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electrification;
- Rule out new coal and gas projects and commit to a total phase out of polluting fossil fuels;
- Set 1.5C-aligned climate targets and implementation plans;
- Increase investment in resilience against climate disasters.
“Unchecked climate change and the ongoing use of coal and gas imposes great costs on our communities,” said Leigh Ewbank, Acting Deputy Director at Solutions for Climate Australia.
“We can see it in rising insurance bills and power prices. In recent years, climate-fuelled floods, fires, and heatwaves have cost lives and livelihoods across Australia.
“Communities want to see greater political leadership from the Australian Parliament.”
“We saw Australians vote for strong action on climate change in record numbers at the last election, and we see our communities playing our part through strong uptake of rooftop solar, electric vehicles and appliances, and green electricity.
“We urge parliamentarians to respect the preferences of the electorate and the aspirations of our communities by putting forward strong policies to rollout renewables and clear commitments to rule out new coal and gas projects,” said Ewbank.
The Climate Council called the report explosive and Peter Dutton’s actions “dirty deeds” that were keeping Australians in the dark about his risky nuclear scheme
An explosive new report from Australia’s independent Climate Change Authority reveals the Federal Coalition’s nuclear scheme would see climate pollution blow out for more than 20 years, leading to up to 2 billion tonnes of additional climate pollution by 2050.
The Climate Council says Mr Dutton’s nuclear scheme risks locking Australia into worsening climate catastrophes, with no credible plan to cut pollution from coal, oil or gas.
Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie said: “Mr Dutton knows most Australians want their government to be making progress on climate action. But modelling from the Climate Change Authority shows his nuclear scheme would massively drive up climate pollution and put Australia in breach of its own national law, and international law.
“Mr Dutton himself has warned that failing to meet our global climate commitments would hurt our own economy and cost Australians jobs.
“The Coalition is out of step and out of touch with the majority of everyday Australians, who overwhelmingly voted for climate action at the last election and want to ditch climate pollution for clean power.”
Climate Councillor Greg Bourne said: “The Federal Coalition has spent the past three years actively blocking policies that cut climate pollution in our electricity, industrial and transport sectors, and now they’re trying to sell an energy scheme to Aussies that could add more than two billion tonnes of pollution and blow up our targets as a credible climate policy.
“Records show the Federal Coalition voted against capping pollution from big industrial polluters. They opposed cleaner and more efficient vehicles being made available to Australians by voting against the National Vehicle Efficiency Standard. And they opposed key policies for making clean energy more accessible, affordable and reliable like the Capacity Investment Scheme. The Coalition’s policies obstruct climate progress.”
Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie said: “Dutton’s risky nuclear scheme would burden our kids with more unnatural disasters, rising pollution and higher power bills. All Australians deserve a bright future. We need proven solutions like renewable power, backed by big batteries, that cut pollution now, not a reckless delay that locks us into climate catastrophe.”
Copy of Statement: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18gPLYsSMHxJ1nuRSgL6pejnsj1LEaCQx/view?usp=drive_link
