Government smokescreen to downgrade climate ambition

Today the ACT-National Coalition Agreement pet project’s findings on “no additional warming” were released.

“Whether it’s climate action or child poverty, Christopher Luxon committed at the election, then quietly tried to change the targets and reduce action while in Government,” says Green Party Co-Leader and spokesperson on Climate Change, Chlöe Swarbrick.

“There’s a reason climate scientists balked when the Government announced it would review agricultural emissions: it was an obvious smokescreen to lower climate ambition, as the report and Ministerial comments released today make abundantly clear.

“There’s a reason the Government chose not to give this job to the independent, expert Climate Change Commission, but instead set up their own Ministerial pet project, who were conveniently not allowed to consider the impacts of so-called ‘no additional warming’ from agriculture in the context of all of our climate targets and strategy.

“The Climate Change Commission and Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment have explained time and again that a ‘no additional warming’ approach would mean every other part of our society and economy will carry a far higher burden, or mean reducing our necessary contribution to the global fight for climate action.

“Christopher Luxon should be thoroughly embarrassed to have been hoodwinked by lobbyists who have tried and failed this grift in Australia. Then again, we’re talking about the same guy who decided to throw our constitution to the wind to form a Government despite the Treaty Principles Bill not being anyone’s bottom line.

“Enough is enough. Climate Minister Simon Watts, will you please stand up?” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

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