Labor and the Greens are on a collision course on the future of coal and gas, despite a historic agreement on laws to cut greenhouse gas emissions, setting up a new clash over urgent reforms to existing laws protecting the environment.
At a press conference shortly after Labor’s historic Climate Change Bill passed the lower house 89 votes to 55 yesterday, Greens leader Adam Bandt lashed the Albanese government’s 43 per cent emissions reduction target as weak.
Greens leader Adam Bandt speaks during the debate over amendments to the government’s Climate Change Bill.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The Greens are demanding Labor insert a so-called “climate trigger” in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. This trigger would require all fossil fuel projects to be assessed on their contribution to global warming, likely blocking approvals for new coal and gas developments.
“You can’t put the fire out if you’re pouring petrol on it, you can’t fix the problem if you’re making the problem worse,” Bandt said.
Source link
