Morrison's Climate "Plan" For Glascow Summit: No One Knows What It Is, Including Energy Industry
Leading Australian industry groups have warned that the government has failed to consult them on a promised long-term emissions reduction strategy, despite it planning to present it at pivotal climate talks in Glasgow in just 80 days. The government has been saying for more than 18 months that the strategy is in development and has promised to release it publicly and to the UN before the Glasgow talks in November.
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The Australian Industry Group, the country’s largest employer group, told Guardian Australia it had not been consulted on the strategy. It said it should include the 2050 net zero goal. Tennant Reed, Ai Group’s climate, energy and environment policy adviser, said it was unusual there had not been consultation with interest groups about the strategy given there had been with climate policy, including the government’s technology investment roadmap, and the target it took to the 2015 Paris climate summit.
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Kane Thornton, chief executive of the Clean Energy Council, said the council was yet to be consulted on the strategy, but would welcome being approached. He said council research had found investment in large-scale clean energy projects had fallen to a five-year low, and the country needed a plan to turn that around. “Without a clear plan for emissions reduction, Australia risks not being able to attract the levels of investment seen in many other countries who are experiencing surging investment, particularly in solar and wind,” he said.
The primary oil and gas lobby group, the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (Appea), also said while it was regularly consulted on climate policy it had not been asked for input into the strategy. Damian Dwyer, Appea’s deputy chief executive, said its position was that gas had fewer emissions than coal when burned for electricity and was used in manufacturing for jobs that “renewables simply cannot do”. He said “the strategy should recognise that “demand for gas is growing and that our product can help Australia and the world reduce emissions”.
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/aug/14/industry-and-climate-groups-remain-in-the-dark-when-it-comes-to-australias-emissions-reduction-strategy