LABOR’S spokesperson on climate change and energy Chris Bowen says the Prime Minister Scott Morrison should assure next month’s United Nations’ COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow that his government will legislate “a 2050 net zero emissions target and a more ambitious target for 2030”.
“Anything less would be a cop out at COP,” Mr Bowen said.
Mr Bowen was speaking to an online audience of more than 60 people from the peninsula on Thursday 14 October at an event organised by the Mornington Peninsula Labor Environmental Action Network (MPLEAN).
Surbhi Snowball, Labor candidate for Flinders held for the past 20 years by Liberal Greg Hunt, introduced Mr Bowen and said she wanted to be “part of a government which takes urgent and transformative action on [climate change] issues”.
With the promise of more to come in the lead-up to the next election, Mr Bowen said Labor was already committed to spending $20 billion to “rewire the nation” to allow more renewables into the grid; abolishing inefficient taxes on low-emissions vehicles; creating a $15 billion national reconstruction fund to create jobs, develop regions and diversify the economy; setting up $100m new energy apprenticeships program; and providing “power to the people” by installing 400 batteries across the country.
Mr Bowen said Labor would be “ready to act” after “the wasted years” under the direction of coalition governments.
Labor saw climate change as offering “inherent opportunities for Australian research, manufacturing, employment and prosperity”. He said that under Labor Australia would become a “renewable energy superpower, exporting solar power and green hydrogen to the rest of the world and creating jobs within Australia from the abundant supply of cheap, clean electricity”.
A recording of the forum can be viewed at the Mornington Peninsula LEAN Facebook page.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 26 October 2021
