Australian Communities Call for Action on Climate on First Sitting Day

As the Australian Parliament returns today, at the start of an election year, over 80 community groups are calling for all parties and candidates to commit to action on climate change.

These groups, representing tens of thousands of Australians from all walks of life, are calling for policies that will:

• Accelerate the rollout of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electrification;

• Rule out new coal and gas projects and commit to a total phase out of polluting fossil fuels;

• Set 1.5C-aligned climate targets and implementation plans;

• Increase investment in resilience against climate disasters.

“Unchecked climate change and the ongoing use of coal and gas imposes great costs on our communities,” said Leigh Ewbank, Acting Deputy Director at Solutions for Climate Australia.

“We can see it in rising insurance bills and power prices. In recent years, climate-fuelled floods, fires, and heatwaves have cost lives and livelihoods across Australia.

“Communities want to see greater political leadership from the Australian Parliament.”

“We saw Australians vote for strong action on climate change in record numbers at the last election, and we see our communities playing our part through strong uptake of rooftop solar, electric vehicles and appliances, and green electricity.

“We urge parliamentarians to respect the preferences of the electorate and the aspirations of our communities by putting forward strong policies to rollout renewables and clear commitments to rule out new coal and gas projects,” said Ewbank.

Copy of Statement: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18gPLYsSMHxJ1nuRSgL6pejnsj1LEaCQx/view?usp=drive_link