NO EMISSIONS REDUCTION CONFIRMED

Media Release

THE HON MARK BUTLER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT

CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER

MEMBER FOR PORT ADELAIDE

Date:  25 May 2016
Greg Hunt has today achieved the pinnacle of ineffectiveness – he has confirmed the Liberals climate “safeguard mechanism” will do absolutely nothing to reduce emissions.
Mr Hunt has confirmed that emissions baselines for companies captured in the safeguard mechanism would not decline from 2017, and he quashed any hope eligible companies had of being able to sell emissions permits they did not use.
How does the Turnbull Government expect to reduce emissions if its scheme is designed to do nothing?
How does the Turnbull Government expect to reach Australia's international commitment of keeping global warming well below two degrees if its scheme is designed to do nothing?
Mr Hunt can spin it any way he likes, but the facts are clear. Under Labor, emissions were reduced by 8 per cent, but they are rising under the Liberals.
Last year emissions went up for the first time in a decade.
If the Turnbull Government is re-elected, emissions will increase by 6 per cent between now and 2020 according to the Government’s own projections. So by 2020, emissions would be 6 per cent above 2000 levels, rather than 5 per cent below.
Direct Action is nothing but a dressed up slush fund, wasting billions of taxpayers’ dollars while achieving no meaningful reduction in Australia’s pollution levels.
The so-called “safeguard mechanism” is so farcical it has set baselines to ensure no business is ever likely to exceed them.
Expert after expert has been clear that the required cut to Australia’s emissions cannot be achieved without much tougher safeguard rules.

The only thing Greg Hunt’s safeguard mechanism is actually safeguarding is the dodgy deal Malcolm Turnbull has done with his party’s climate deniers.