Five independent MPs have released a joint statement calling on the major parties to release 2035 emissions reduction targets ahead of the next federal election.
Zali Steggall, Kylea Tink, Dr Sophie Scamps, Zoe Daniel and Dr Monique Ryan are calling on major parties to publicly respond to recent findings by the The Climate Change Authority which indicated a emissions reduction of 65 to 75 per cent by 2035 is achievable.
The Authority’s suggestions come after the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO’s State of the Climate Report warned of devastating impacts of further increasing temperatures, including worsening heatwaves, bushfires, cyclones and floods. It also showed Australia’s climate has already warmed by 1.51 degrees.
The independent MPs are urging major parties to commit to releasing their 2035 emissions reduction targets before the next federal election, arguing that Australians are entitled to clarity and transparency on climate commitments.
“Both Labor and the Coalition must commit to unveiling 2035 emissions reduction targets before the election,” the joint statement read. “Australians deserve to know what future they are voting for in 2025.”
Member for Warringah, Zali Steggall warned of the rising climate risks facing more and more Australians each year, arguing there is no way to “insure our way out of the climate crisis.”
“…We must mitigate it and prepare,” she said. “All sectors are clear: the markets needs strong clear long term target commitments and policy certainty.”
“Major parties need to be transparent about their emissions reduction goals before the next election so voters can assess if they’re fair dinkum or not about tackling climate change.”
On the eve of the US Presidential election, Member for North Sydney, Kylea Tink said that a potential Trump Presidency shows just how vulnerable climate change policies can be to political ideology.
“…Our major parties owe it to Australians to be completely transparent on their emission reductions targets and how they plan to meet them,” Tink said. “Ultimately, Australians deserve to know exactly how committed the major parties are to climate action before they go to the polls.”
Dr Sophie Scamps believes that postponing reductions until the 2040s would be too late.
“We are already suffering the consequences of warming,” she said, describing the lack of transparency by both the Government and Coalition regarding their 2035 climate targets as “alarming.”
“Australians deserve to know before the next election what their targets will be,” she said. “I particularly have grave concerns that the nuclear aspirations of the Coalition means that we will remain heavily reliant on coal up until 2050 which means Australia will continue to be a high emitting country throughout the 2030s and well into the 2040s. ”
Zoe Daniel repeated her call for the Albanese Government to up their ambition and adopt a climate target of at least 75 per cent by 2035.
“Voters deserve to be provided with the full information they need to make an informed decision on climate policy at the next election,” she said.
“This is close to the minimum required for us to meet our Paris commitments. As well as a clear commitment to an ambitious target, I call on the major parties to back their targets up with the specifics; not only do Australians deserve to know what the major parties’ targets are, they deserve to know what the plan is to get there.”
Dr Monique Ryan said that voters want their representatives to show a strong commitment to action on climate change.
“Emissions reduction targets give industry certainty and will help guide the energy transition,” she said. “Voters deserve to know exactly where the parties stand, before the next Federal election.”
In June this year, both Dr Ryan and Daniel criticised Peter Dutton’s decision to abandon Australia’s 2030 targets to cut emissions by 43 per cent, arguing that it would force investment out of the country to nations that recognised environmental risks.