Climate Change
Chad supports strong action on climate change.
Chad is also opposed to the Adani Mine project and has been a keen supporter of the Stop Adani Movement.
Chad supports the 100% renewable electricity target by 2030 and the transition from coal-fired power stations by 2030.
The Coalition Government’s 26-28 per cent reduction in carbon emissions (from 2005) by 2030, is a long way short of other countries such as the United States (35-39%), EU (34%), Germany (45%), and the United Kingdom (61%) [1].
If a government’s measure of what they prioritise is based on their budget allocation, then the climate spending that was halved in the 2018 Federal Budget to $1.6 billion – under the Turnbull government, falling to $1.25 billion by 2022, suggests that they simply don’t care about climate change [2].
Australia has the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions of all 34 OECD nations (including the United States and Canada) [3].
Chad supports a Renewable Energy Target where that at least 45 per cent of electricity generated in Australia should be generated from zero-emissions renewable sources, and that this target can be achieved by 2030.
Every effort must be made to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius, and preferably below 1.5 degrees Celsius, as recommended by credible climate science.
If we allow global warming to go above two degrees climate science suggests this could well trigger irreversible tipping points steadily leading to ecological catastrophe with major impacts on Australia and the rest of the world. [4]
Marine coral reef scientists tell us that we are unlikely to save the Great Barrier Reef if global mean surface temperatures rise beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius. We in North and Far North Queensland have a particular interest and responsibility in ensuring the survival of the Great Barrier Reef [5] [6].
Australia also has a lot to lose from global warming in terms of widespread chronic drought and its likely impact on wheat, wool, cotton and food production, not to mention worsening year-round bush fires and more intense storms, cyclones and flooding in tropical areas [7].
Australia needs to take a leading role on the world stage to encourage the global community to take more action to stabilise global warming. However, currently Australia is the world’s largest exporter of coal and our coal exports are growing.
In order to advocate for countries to achieve adequate emissions reductions, Australia needs to show it too is serious, and begin to reduce coal exports from 372 million tonnes in 2017 to 100 million tonnes by 2030.
The Federal Government needs to invest in retraining coal industry workers for the emerging renewable energy sector and other sunrise industries.
Chad also believes that Federal and State government agencies need to do more to transition to low carbon operations and should regularly report on their efforts to reduce carbon emissions from their projects and activities.
Federal and State governments need to be more proactive in facilitating the transition to electric vehicles (and possibly other renewable energy transport fuels such as hydrogen and ethanol), and follow the lead of the UK (2040), France (2040), India (2030), Netherlands (2030), and Ireland (2030) in setting a date to ban the sale of all new petrol and diesel vehicles [9].
Chad believes that Australia must further develop an effective price on carbon and a carbon-trading scheme so that business can invest in ways which help Australia meet our emissions reductions target[10].
He also believes untied government funding should be applied to an independent climate policy agency such as the Climate Council (formerly Climate Commission).
[1] http://climatechangeauthority.
[2] https://www.smh.com.au/environ
[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/
[4] “Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). http://www.pnas.org/content/11
[5] Global warming must be limited to 1.2 degrees Celsius according to former Chief Scientist Ian Chubb and the Expert Panel https://www.smh.com.au/environ
[6] UNESCO Report says 1.5 degrees Celsius is the limit to save the Great Barrier Reef https://www.theguardian.com/en
[7]https://www.aph.gov.au/Abou
[8] http://www.environment.gov.au/
[9] https://www.weforum.org/agenda
[10] https://www.smh.com.au/busines