Agencies – Gaza Post
Australia’s Greens vow to fight coal, gas projects to return climate law
on Wednesday, Australia’s Greens party cleared the way for a bill enshrining a pledge to cut carbon emissions by 43% in the beginning of 2030, but would oppose new fossil fuel projects. climate policy has always been a subject that Australian politicians contend over for more than a decade, ever since the Greens opposed a carbon policy proposed by a Labor government in 2009.
The defeat of that policy led to several shifts in climate policy that led to the removal of their parties with four prime ministers and was one of the main factors in the defeat of the Conservative government in the last elections issued in May.
The Greens leader said “The Labor Party said passing this law would bring the atmosphere back to normal. The Greens will do our part,”.
“But the Labor Party is determined to back down from the parliament’s work as long as new coal and gas projects are not stopped,” he added.
The Greens deservedly won a record number of seats in the May elections, reflecting growing concern about climate change amid worsening wildfires and floods, and the government needs their support to pass legislation through Parliament.
The climate change bill would set out Australia’s pledge under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43% from 2005 levels by 2030.
The legislation is passed in the House of Representatives as scheduled, where the Labor Party has a majority.
Labor needs the support of 12 Greens senators and one to pass the bill, as Labor does not have a majority in the Senate and the opposition has vowed to veto the bill.
The minister of climate change and energy said after Bandt’s talk, “It is now clear that our legislation will pass the parliament,”
The Greens are calling for a more ambitious emissions reduction target for 2030, but Labor has refused to raise the target as it was looking to shore up votes in coal mining and gas production constituencies.
The Green Party negotiated changes to the bill including ensuring that the emissions target could not be reduced.
Bandit replied “You can only end the climate wars by keeping coal and gas in the ground,”.