The Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) has called on the Federal Liberal Party to continue with a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and not be led by the Nationals’ radical decision to abandon its commitment.
CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts labelled the move by the Nationals as a “significant backward step in tackling climate change and protecting nature”, urging the Liberal Party to “stay with the science and not go further down the path of political irrelevance”.
“We all know that Matt Canavan is a rusted-on climate sceptic who’s been known to dress up as a coal miner, so for him – alongside Senator Rob Cadell – to hijack the Nationals’ climate agenda is hugely disappointing, but not unexpected,” Mr Roberts said.
“They claim net zero is no longer fit for purpose for the Australian people and the transition is a fantasy, while at the same time claiming they are not climate deniers.
“The Nationals are undermining renewable energy at every opportunity and have now manufactured policy uncertainty by abandoning net zero – this does nothing to achieve a ‘better, cheaper, fairer’ energy policy.
“Their actions on climate are reckless.
“If they accept climate is real then they need to take action not cause chaos; renewables are the fast, fair, economic and better option.
“What we're hearing from them is that this is a sensible decision, when in fact it's actually a radical decision. This is something that's going to have an impact on farmers and farmlands up and down Western Australia in a very negative way.
“It shows just how out of touch the Nationals are with what regional Australians want.
“The Nationals, and the Federal Liberal Party if it follows suit, risk continued electoral irrelevance unless they start listening to climate scientists and the Australian people when it comes to action on climate change.
“It is demonstrably true that solar and wind power is the cheapest form of power generation that we have at the moment in Australia. This is the sensible economic way forward.
“This decision creates uncertainty for industry – undermining the existing renewable energy transition process and pushing our energy security further behind schedule. It will further white-ant Australia’s competitive edge in the renewable energy market.
“We cannot allow this ongoing failure on climate action to become a legacy for our children, grandchildren, and future generations to come. Our future is at grave risk if we don’t address the catastrophic impacts of climate change on our economy, society, and environmental wellbeing.
“If we want to seize the opportunities of the 21st Century and demonstrate real global leadership, Australia will need to get serious about just and orderly transitions away from emissions and materials-intensive industries, towards a more diverse and sustainable economy which enables a liveable future for us all.”