Inaugural Moreland Climate CUP highlights Race to Zero Emissions – Melbourne joins Global Day of action #COP26
A few months ago the idea was floated in the Moreland Climate Coalition to hold an event around Melbourne Cup day, which also coincided with the UN Climate Change conference, COP26, meeting in Glasgow.
But at that early stage all of Melbourne was in lockdown due to the pandemic with limits on public gatherings, with the vaccination program delayed due to Federal Government vaccine ordering incompetence, and was still ramping up.
When we started organising we didn’t know how many people could meet for a protest under the public health regulations. But as vaccination rate grew rapidly 30 people became the number of fully vaccinated people to meet publicly. Three covidsafe events were held in Moreland, with other climate protests in the city and at St Kilda as part of the Global day of action called by the COP26 Coalition in Glasgow.
(more…)Peter Khalil asks about tech fairy dust in Net Zero Plan
Peter Khalil, MP for Wills, was part of the Labor questioning of the Prime Minister in Question time in the House of Representatives today. It follows Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s launch of a Net zero by 2050 Plan, that was widely criticised (including by Climate Action Moreland many climate advocacy organisations) (See Blog: Morrison Net Zero 2050 Plan a fraud, with plans to double coal exports, new gas expansion)
It is clear the Government’s plan relies on substantial fairy dust to get to Net Zero by 2050. It is also highly reliant on the problematic Technology Investment Roadmap which places much emphasis and hope on developing at commercial scale a substantial Carbon Capture and Storage industry to process Blue Hydrogen (to market as clean hydrogen) from fossil gas and coal. Carbon Capture and storage is expensive’ and energy intensive without guaranteeing 100 per cent sequestration. There is only one operating commercial plant using CCS technology globally. Australia has already poured over $4 billion into Carbon Capture and Storage with little technology to show for it.
(more…)Zero is good, but Morrison fails Australia with no new 2030 target for COP26
Climate advocacy Community groups and organisations have welcomed the announcement today by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Net Zero, but have strongly criticised not increasing Australia’s low 2030 target that was set by Prime Minister Abbott in 2015.
Climate Action Moreland put out a Joint statement of 40 climate advocacy organisations in response to the Federal Government’s net zero emissions announcement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor.
“Australia is taking a technology not taxes meet and cheat projection to Glasgow, which is another way of climate delay and denial while expanding fossil fuel production,” said Climate Action Moreland Convenor, John Englart.
Morrison said in his press conference “You will be supported by our data projection that will see us exceed our 2030 target with emissions reduction of up to 35% by 2030. We will keep our commitment, though, when it comes to our pledge that we made, and took to the last election of 26 to 28%, but we will meet it, and we will beat it. And we’ll beat it with emissions reductions we believe about the 35%.” said Morrison.
But the work of all the states will see Australia achieve 37-42% emissions reduction, according to scientific modelling and projections by Climateworks Australia associated with Monash University. The Federal Government is doing little effective climate action according to modelling on 2030 climate targets.
“This is the right plan for Australia – to summarise the outcome from it, which we’ll see in the plan, Australians $2,000 better off on average in 2050 compared with no Australian action.” says Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor at the press conference.
“Acting fast with renewables with strong 2030 targets showed citizens would be $5000 better off according to Business Council of Australia report.” said John Englart.
(more…)Australia needs to double climate finance for COP26, rejoin Green Climate Fund
In 2009 wealthy countries committed to raising $100 billion per year of climate finance from 2020. This climate finance commitment was a lynch pin of getting many developing countries on board for the Paris Agreement in 2015. A recent review and report conducted by the OECD found that only $79.6 billion per year has been raised. See John Englart’s September 2021 Blog Post: Australian climate finance falling far short of our fair share, getting worse.
A new Australian report asseses Australia’s responsibility in climate finance and advocates that Australia, at the very least, double its current commitment to $3 billion of climate finance for the current 5 year period of 2020-2025, and rejoin the Green Climate Fund.
Climate Action Moreland Convenor John Englart said, “For doing our fair share on climate finance and solidarity with developing countries, Scott Morrison should announce at the UN Climate talks in Glasgow an initial doubling of Australia’s climate finance commitment to at least $3 billion for 2020 to 2025.
“It is Important that Australia also rejoins the Green Climate Fund to enhance multi-lateral financing of projects for both emissions reduction and climate adaptation and resilience building.”
Scott Morrison withdrew Australia from the Green Climate Fund in a radio interview in October 2018.
(more…)Moreland Council to Phaseout Gas in Fawkner Leisure Centre
Moreland Council will put forward as part of the community consultation on redevelopment of the Fawkner Leisure Centre the phaseout of Fossil gas, as well as keeping the 50 metre outside pool, which was the subject of a strong community campaign.
The redevelopment is proposed to be done in 2 stages. the present plan includes conversion of the gas boiler heat pump to electric heat pump technology. This is estimated to cost $2.6 million.
The Council Officer report makes clear that the redevelopment is the time to do this phaseout of gas as part of the Zero Carbon Moreland framework to reduce emissions to address the climate emergency.
(more…)Open letter to Australian Government on Asian Development Bank funding new fossil fuel projects
Climate Action Moreland joined 34 other civil society organisations, including Neighbours United for Climate Action (NUCA), to sign an open letter addressed to Federal Ministers and Labor Party Shadow Ministers urging the Australian government to stop pushing support of coal and gas related projects in the negotiation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) new energy policy.
Both the International Energy Agency Roadmap to 2050 released in May 2021 and the IPCC 6th climate change assessment report released in August 2021 makes clear we cannot afford ANY new fossil fuel projects to be funded consistent with the Paris Agreement agreed targets.
Neighbours United for Climate Action also signed the open letter.
“Since the Paris Agreement, the ADB has financed at least $4.9 billion in fossil fuels, almost all of which (96%) has gone to gas. The ADB cannot be a climate leader without a clear end to gas finance.” says an analysis of the Draft Energy policy done by Fossil Free ADB.
(more…)Walking: Making it Safer and More Enjoyable
Walking is a key form of sustainable transport. Indeed, it has so many benefits, including improving the environment, people’s health, and their sense of community. Encouraging more people to walk more often is one of the best ways a society can achieve a range of objectives.
Unlike for other transport modes, governments don’t collect good data on pedestrians that could be used to inform pedestrians strategies. Urban densification increasingly leads to competition over space allocated for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. So it becomes even more important to ensure that we understand how, why, where and when people walk, and how to address barriers to walking.
Brunswick Residents Network (BRN) sought to do this. In early 2021 they surveyed 992 residents from Brunswick (including East and West) on their walking habits and have reported on their findings here. They hope to use the findings to lobby Moreland Council to improve walking infrastructure. Of course, these findings will be applicable in other areas too.
(more…)Labor Expanding gas extraction in Victoria against the climate science
The Labor State Government has been pro-active with some climate action and the energy transition in Victoria, but on gas the Government still subscribes to the view that gas production needs to be expanded, that gas is a transition fuel.
This is despite key several scientific and energy assessments that argue that no more new fossil fuel projects should be embarked upon.
(more…)Wills voters overwhelmingly want climate action as does the rest of Australia
A new poll of 15,000 Australians conducted by YouGov for the Australian Conservation Foundation has found that a substantial majority of Australians want governments to take climate action and set ambitiuos interim climate targets, and stop funding coal and gas.
Citizens in Moreland as part of this poll showed a much greater concern than the national average on all the question polled.
| Conclusions. Compare results Wills and National average | Wills | National Average |
| Voters believe greater climate action will help nature and wildlife survive extreme weather. | 84% | 79% |
| Voters do not believe that new coal or gas power stations should be a priority for the federal government. | 78% | 71% |
| Voters believe the federal government need to be doing more to address climate change. | 79% | 67% |
| Voters say Labor and Coalition plans for climate action will influence their vote. | 76% | 67% |
Prime Minister urged to increase climate action
Climate Action Moreland joined over 100 other organisations in August in a Declaration calling for a Better Future and increased climate action. This includes City of Moreland. An open letter dated 21 August was sent to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The Declaration was associated with the Better Futures online conference that was conducted over three days – 17-19 August 2021.
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Climate Action Moreland: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change 