REALITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE TOO HARD FOR THE LIBERALS

Today’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report is a reality check for the Morrison Government about the real consequences of its continuing divisions over need for real action to tackle climate change.

The report starkly and graphically outlines the world we face: the prospect of exceeding a 1.5 degree temperature rise by 2040.

At 1.5C we lose 70-90% of the world’s warm coral reefs (on top of loss to date). There will be more extreme hot days, and more extreme droughts.

At 1.5C we will see the consequences of climate-related risks to our health, our livelihoods, our food security, water supply, human security, and economic growth.

This is a risk from which we cannot hide.

And yet, Scott Morrison and his divided Liberals have absolved themselves from any responsibility in tackling climate change.

 

The government’s own data shows they will fail to meet their already inadequate Paris targets with pollution rising all the way to 2030.

 

The Liberal Party has capitulated to the hard-right and will continue to wage their anti-science, anti-renewables, anti-climate change agenda.

 

While the Liberals have given up, Labor will not shirk our responsibility to future generations – we’re committed to 50 per cent renewables by 2030, a 45 per cent cut in emissions by 2030 (on 2005 levels), and net zero emissions by 2050.

 

Labor’s targets will cut pollution; bring down power prices and transition Australia to a clean economy with good new jobs, innovative new industries and lower energy costs.

 

It’s time Australians had a government that cares about the same issues they care about as well as our international climate obligations. That includes taking real action to combat climate change – a Shorten Labor Government will deliver on that promise.