Greens say Bali range of 25-40% needed for emissions trading legislation

The Greens today reiterated that emissions targets of 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels are the starting point for any negotiations on the Federal Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme legislation.

“Unless the world, including Australia, adopts such targets, the risk of catastrophic climate change will be too great,” said Greens spokesperson on Climate Change, Senator Christine Milne.

“Without such emissions targets, Australia risks losing the Great Barrier Reef, the Snowies and the Murray-Darling Basin.

“If the Government is serious about tackling climate change, saving these icons, and creating the new economy with the hundreds of thousands of jobs, it will need to get on with setting such targets.

“Even reductions of this level should be seen as a first step; we need to achieve a carbon neutral economy as soon as possible.

“Once an adequate target is put in place, the Greens could begin discussing the other flaws in the legislation, particularly the $16B worth of hand-outs to the polluters.

“The Greens want to see auctioning of all permits, a range of complementary measures to reduce emissions, measures to encourage instead of discourage community action, and strict limits on the use of imported permits.”

The Greens wrote to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Climate Change outlining this position on May 4.