LIBERALS' REPORT STATES THERE ARE BENEFITS TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Mark Butler MP.

Shadow Minister for Environment
 Climate Change and Water

Date:  05 March 2015

The Liberal Government’s Intergenerational Report (IGR) talks about the so-called benefits of climate change and goes on to ignore the challenges posed in the next 40 years by climate change, one of the biggest threats to Australia’s prosperity. 

“Governments must continue to plan for the potential economic and environmental effects of climate change. Some economic effects may be beneficial…”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 [ IGR – PAGE 42]

“It’s obvious that the IGR has the fingerprints of Tony Abbott’s climate change denialism all over it,” Shadow Climate Change Minister Mark Butler said. 

“The IGR draws attention to the impacts of climate change over the past 40 years, but makes no attempt to address these impacts for the next 40 years.” 

Despite acknowledging Australia’s climate has changed and had detrimental impacts on our agricultural, transport and tourism industries, the IGR provides no plan for how Australia’s economy will adapt to the changing climate. 

“There is no discussion of the importance of minimising these threats to ensure the sustainability of the industries and communities most vulnerable to climate change.” 

“This report simply reflects Tony Abbott’s pig-headed ideology that climate change is not a problem and can be ignored.”