Posts filed under ‘coal export’
Liberals win razor thin majority despite surge in voter support for climate action
Here at Climate Action Moreland we were expecting a Shorten Labor government to be elected on May 18. Even though Labor climate policy was very problematic in many areas, the targets were more ambitious (though not nearly enough). We were as shocked by the result of the re-election of a Morrison Government with a slim majority, which was out of step with public opinion polls.
Climate change was one of the big issues of the campaign, with wide concern expressed. This can be seen in The Australia Institute polling which showed that action for climate change was a strong concern, including support for climate emergency action. Read David Spratt’s blog: Support for action surges, majority say we face climate emergency.
The Votecompass survey, encompassing well over half a million citizens found that support had grown to 81 per cent for greater climate action.
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Coffee and climate action: Lobbying Wills MP Peter Khalil in Pascoe Vale
Peter Khalil MP receives a copy of IPCC 1.5C report
Saturday morning in Pascoe Vale and Wills MP Peter Khalil caught up to discuss issues with several constituents at the George Jones Eatery (named after Pascoe Vale’s first shopkeeper in 1841)
Climate action was a top priority for the citizens that had come along, although the ALP’s refugee policy was also mentioned.
Jane presented a copy of the IPCC 1.5C report to Peter Khalil, and Climate Action Moreland Convebnor John Englart also presented a copy of The Elephant in the Sky report (PDF) to him on aviation emissions.
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Time for a climate damages tax on oil, gas and coal production
On Thursday, the second last day of the UN Climate Change conference in Bonn, 25 Nations, provinces and cities took the extraordinary step of committing to coal phaseout in a declaration to phase out coal in the OECD by 2030 and globally by 2050.
Everyone at COP outside the negotiating rooms is talking about coal and fossil fuels. But it is a sad fact that fossil fuels are not even mentioned or referred to once in the Paris Agreement, hence does not come up in the formal negotiating discussions or texts.
Progess on finance for Loss and Damages was one of the big asks by Pacific nations and developing countries at this conference. But substantial progress was blocked by developed countries like US, Australia, Canada and European Union. At the end a forum was conceded to discuss financial options in May. Weak progress.
Before the conference Climate Action Moreland joined with other civil society groups in signing on to the Climate Damages Declaration.
Climate Analytics has recently highlighted, it has been a year of climate extremes: a case for Loss & Damage at COP23. They identified what should be done to progress the Loss and Damage agenda at Bonn. Sadly, it was largely a missed opportunity, thanks in part to Australia’s position.
Stop Adani people sign in Princes Park October 7
Reef not Coal Stop Adani protest
Okay Morelanders, time to present yourselves for the #StopAdani cause at Princes Park in Carlton.
The #StopAdani movement is uniting in a big day of action on Saturday, October 7. Join us in Princes Park!
WHEN
October 07, 2017 at 12pm – 3pm
WHERE
Princes Park – Lawn 5
Royal Parade
Melbourne, Victoria 3054
Australia
It’s just a quick trip on the No 19 tram down Sydney Road and get off at Princes Park. Or come by bike down the Upfield Bikepath, or along the inner city rail reserve from the east or Capital City Trail from the west to Princes Park.
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Phaseout all fossil fuels – Climate Action Moreland signs Lofoten Declaration
Anglesea coal mine
The Lofoten Declaration argues that Climate Leadership Requires a Managed Decline of Fossil Fuel Production. Climate Action Moreland has endorsed this important declaration that has been signed by many Non Government Organisation around the world, large and small.
We think it is time Australia started the managed reduction of our fossil fuel production and incorporated just transition principles, particularly for the export trade.
At the launch of the declaration in early September 2017 Truls Gulowsen of Greenpeace Norway said, “The world already has access to more oil, coal, and gas than we can afford to burn if we hope to stay within the Paris climate goals. It is imperative that we stop exploring and expanding into new reserves, and instead start thinking about how we are going to have a just transition away from our dangerous dependence on fossil fuels.”
Australian greenhouse gas emissions are estimated at 1.3 per cent of global emissions, but if you factor export coal (estimated at 3.3 percent of global emissions) and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), we produce over 5 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions when these fossil fuels are burnt. (See Christoff 2012)
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Australia wins inaugural Pacific Fossil Award for hypocrisy on coal and climate action
In the lead up to the United Nations Climate Conference, COP23, in Bonn Germany in November, the Australian ambassador for climate is touring Pacific Island nations touting Australia’s climate action credentials.
Pacific Civil society have called out the ambassador Patrick Suckling, and Australia’s climate policies, with a new award that highlights Australia’s ongoing promotion of fossil fuels.
The inaugural ‘Pacific Fossil Award’, was given to Australia for repeated efforts to convince Pacific island countries that Australia is serious about tackling climate change, even while making the problem worse by expanding coal exports, and promoting the use of coal abroad.
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Labor wins Reef climate change motion, but remained silent on Adani and coal
Vote on Adani in HoR: Cathy McGowan, Adam Bandt, Andrew Wilkie vote to #stopAdani. Photo via @WilkieMP
The Liberal National Party government lost a motion in the House of Representatives of our Federal Parliament yesterday. Amid all this crisis over dual citizenship and section 44 of the constitution that has now embroiled Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, the Government were unable to muster the numbers and lost 61 votes against to 69 votes in favour. Read the full story at Climate Home.
The motion was on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment Bill 2017. The passage of the Bill provided an opportunity for amendments from both Labor and the Greens.
While Labor’s amendment highlighted the government’s failure to protect the Great Barrier reef from Climate Change, it was silent on the threat of the Adani coal project opening up the Galilee Basin (Read David Holmes on Australia’s climate bomb: the senselessness of Adani’s Carmichael coal mine), and other new mines such as Glencore’s Wandoan mine in the Surat basin that has just been approved by the Queensland Labor Government.
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Building bridges with LEAN on climate and Adani coal
While in Wills our Federal Labor MP Peter Khalil has publicly opposed the Adani mine, we are interested in moving the ALP to a stronger position with regard to the Adani Carmichael mine. We have written to the Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN) to see if we can assist in this regard.
Firstly, we would like to find out LEAN’s position on the issue of Adani’s Carmichael mine. Does LEAN oppose the mine? If not, why not? If so, what is LEAN doing about it and how is LEAN proposing to use Labor Party processes to get Labor to adopt the only environmentally responsible position on the project – i.e. that the mine is so dangerous to humanity that it must never be built?
We welcome the valuable policy and lobbying work being done by LEAN members inside the ALP on climate policy. We have requested a meeting with a LEAN delegation based in Melbourne to discuss strategy, and to find areas of potential overlap and support.
Read our full letter here (PDF).
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Wills MP Peter Khalil states that Adani mine should not go ahead.
Climate Action Moreland, along with other concerned Moreland residents and groups, have been pushing our federal MP Peter Khalil (Wills) to oppose the Adani coal mine project. We invited him to our Moreland Says Stop Adani action on May 12 to address residents’ concerns. We made frequent attempts to contact him, but received no reply until an email today. The full text of this email is reproduced below. (more…)
Westpac have a better climate policy on export coal than Liberal or Labor
Thank You Westpac for new climate policy
On Friday members of Climate Action Moreland and supporters gathered on Sydney Road outside Westpac Bank. For a change we had something positive to say. We also had a load protest outside Commbank next door, before marching to Wills MP Peter Khalil’s office to push him past just opposing public subsidies to oppose the mine itself.
The Westpac Bank climate position statement and 2020 action plan is actually more aligned with Australia’s commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement, in terms of the export coal industry, than either the Government or Labor opposition. That is not to say it is perfect, but Westpac Bank realize there is a transition to a zero carbon economy underway and their policy on investment in fossil fuels and especially coal is nuanced to that effect.
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