The Australian Greens say the growing discontent over the Government's carbon trading scheme - including the Government's own advisor Professor Ross Garnaut - now means it's imperative that an immediate review be held of the scheme's targets and design.
Australian Greens Climate Spokesperson and Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said today's blunt assessment by Prof. Garnaut condemning compensation for big polluters as 'over the top', echoed other damning assessments from economists, scientists and environmentalists.

Infrastructure Australia's short-list released today includes proposals which would help build a sustainable Australia and others which would lock the country into a high-polluting path for decades, the Australian Greens said today.

The proposals across transport, ports and energy are on balance positive, with more than half (based on indicative capital cost) likely to have a net positive environmental impact and less than half a questionable or net negative impact.

"Minister Albanese faces a clear choice as he considers these proposals - does he want to build a sustainable Australia or does he want to lock us into our high-polluting path," Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Climate Change Spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, said.

Just two days after delivering its 'big polluters' bail-out package', the Rudd Government has announced a deeply flawed renewable energy target that breaches its election promise and will entrench sector's boom and bust cycles, the Australian Greens said today.

"After giving big polluters everything they asked for in Monday's white paper, today the Rudd Government is kicking the renewable energy sector while it's down," Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Climate Change Spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, said.

The Australian Greens today welcomed US President-elect Obama's choice of energy efficiency expert Dr Steven Chu as his energy secretary.

The choice of Nobel Prize winning Dr Chu will help to ensure that the USA moves rapidly into a Green New Deal that build jobs and prosperity through energy efficiency and renewable energy. It will dramatically increase the pressure on Australia to follow suit.

"Dr Chu is an inspired choice who will drive the transformation in the American economy that the Rudd Government completely failed to deliver yesterday," Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Climate Change Spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, said.

The Rudd Government's plans to announce weak climate targets are already undermining global negotiations, with China and South Africa saying the refusal to sign up to the 25-40% negotiating range could scuttle a new global deal, the Australian Greens said today.

A statement from global business leaders today will strengthen the increasingly troubling scientific calls for Australia to act responsibly, arguing, as the Greens have done, that investing now in reducing emissions will help drive the economic recovery.

"Far from being responsible, the Rudd Government is being reckless," Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Climate Change Spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, said.

The Australian Greens, with the support of the Liberals, have today amended Labor's Nation Building Bills to ensure that the multi-billion dollar funds are properly scrutinised.

The amendments, moved by Senator Milne:
• establish a new Parliamentary Joint Committee on Nation Building to oversee the Minister's allocations from the funds; and
• require all advice from the advisory boards to be made public immediately.

"Forward-thinking, transparent infrastructure planning can replace Australia's history of pork-barrelling and white elephants with a Green New Deal to build a zero emissions economy," Senator Milne said.