Australian Senate calls on Government to admit Paris failings

The Senate has backed the Australian Greens' motion calling on the Government to make a clear statement about its inaction on climate change.
"It is time for this anti-science Government to front up to the fact they are failing the nation and the planet," Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young

said.

"Enough is enough. Scientists have made it very clear that we must reduce pollution and transition out of fossil fuels. If not, we will sink further and further into dangerous climate crisis. Australia has a responsibility to act for its citizens, environment and the planet. The Morrison Government is in denial and the Senate has called it out.

"On the day that New Zealand has announced a $100 million fund to reduce emissions, the Morrison Government continues to ignore our Paris Agreement responsibilities. It is a disgrace.

"Sir David Attenborough's incredible, and important speech from COP24, sent shockwaves around the world. The climate denialists in the Morrison Government must wake up and admit business as usual does not allow us to even get close to reaching our Paris Commitments."

The below motion was agreed to in the Senate today:

That the Senate- notes that

1.            National emissions levels for the June quarter 2018 increased 1.3 per cent relative to the previous quarter on a seasonally adjusted and weather normalised basis.

2.            With emissions continuing to rise, and no clear plan to reduce them, we are set to miss our Paris targets.

3.            Minister for the Environment, Melissa Price will represent Australia at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24).

Calls on the government to make the following short statement to the COP24:

Australia has not taken seriously its responsibilities to meeting its Paris Commitments and will dramatically lift its ambitions to play its part in averting the climate crisis.

December 5, 2018