It’s Getting Hot In Here

By Anna Rose and Amanda McKenzie, Co-directors of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.

The federal government released its green paper on the emissions trading scheme today.“It is impossible for Australia to be in front of the world in tackling climate change”, stated Climate Change Minister, Penny Wong. This is hardly the inspiration or hope for our future that young Australians were looking for from the federal government.

We want a Murray River that flows and supports Australia’s great farming tradition and a Great Barrier Reef filled with coral and marine life.  We don’t want rising sea levels destroying homes here and in the Pacific, and for Australia to be plagued by more frequent droughts and extreme weather.

Penny Wong launched today’s green paper on emissions trading with a statement that “We are called to protect the inheritance of future generations”. We do not believe that today’s green paper does protect our inheritance. Instead, it is a giveaway bonanza to Australia’s most polluting industries. The major problems with today’s green paper are:
•    Free permits to pollute for trade-exposed emissions-intensive industries
•     Direct payments to existing coal-fired electricity generators – allowing coal-fired power stations to expand, instead of phasing into renewable energy
•     Cutting the fuel excise, instead of using the money to promote low-carbon transport alternatives
•     A cap on the price of carbon from 2010 – 2015, undermines the scheme’s ability to price the real costs of greenhouse pollution.

Failing to adequately reduce emissions today, will mean that our generation will suffer the consequences of a changed climate tomorrow.  While the green paper is clearly designed to minimise the political fallout from industry, we must remember that climate change is ultimately about morality – how will we leave the planet for the millions that are to come?

While much of the recent debate has focused around the short-term costs of introducing a emission trading scheme, the enormous benefits of taking appropriate action has been left out. Some short-term costs during an industry transition now, mean that we avoid disastrous climate change in the future. It is like an insurance policy for the planet.  Australia will benefit from engaging in the global green economy, reaping new industries and new jobs as we capitalise on our freely available, abundant natural wealth – our sun, wind, tide and hot rocks.

But why should polluting industries be compensated?  As companies purchasing permits will most likely pass this cost right onto consumers (as is what happened in the European ETS), any compensation is simply money into the pockets of polluting industries.   For every dollar or free permit given to polluting industries, there is a dollar less that can go to greater energy efficiency and insulation programs for households, or a dollar less for a new wind farm and transitioning to a clean energy economy.

It is good that the green paper focuses on assistance to low-income households, but this assistance should be aimed at reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. This would give permanent relief from rising fuel and energy prices and supports the scheme’s goal of reducing greenhouse emissions.  This means energy efficiency programs and huge investments in public transport in outer suburban areas.

In this regard, cutting the fuel excise is madness, and means billions of dollars that could have been invested in public transport are no longer available to do so.

We must invest in the solution, rather than compensating the very industries which have caused the problem.  The green paper states it will directly compensate coal-fired generators, “to ameliorate the risk of adversely affecting the investment environment”. The whole point of a cap and trade scheme is to change the investment environment to discourage new carbon-intensive electricity.

Coal is responsible for 88% of Australia’s electricity generation, and 75% of Australia’s greenhouse emissions from energy (including transport and heat).  ‘Clean Coal’ is unproven technology and simply an excuse to prolong Australia’s addiction to coal, rather than supporting coal communities to transition to a truly sustainable society. The coal industry itself acknowledges that geo-sequestration technology, if it ever works, is 10-20 years off, while scientists tell us we must start addressing climate change immediately.

The Rudd government, in concert with the State governments, is expanding the coal industry – just yesterday, Qld Premier Anna Bligh announced a new coal loader. The Rudd government cannot expect us to believe they are serious about addressing climate change without addressing the shift away from coal.

We want to see strong leadership from our government – a scheme that will turn emissions around in the next two years, supported with investment in renewable energy and a fair transition plan to phase out coal-fired power. That transition would create new green jobs for our generation in truly sustainable industries and make Australia a world leader. That is what the youth of Australian want, and the government totally missed the mark today.

Solving climate change is about safeguarding the future for our generation and those to come. We take it personally, because it is personal for us. If we don’t solve this climate emergency, the world will soon be a very different one to the one we grew up in.

Green papers are supposed to canvass a number of options for solving problems. We are still waiting for a green paper that includes the option of saving our future.