Risks of another Senate climate policy debacle are rising as the Greens harden demands for a fossil fuel ban in Labor’s signature emissions reduction plan.
to Labor’s signature heavy industrial and resources emissions reduction plan, for the first time overtly declaring it must include a specific ban on new fossil fuel projects.
Labor has given itself a deadline of March 31 to pass the safeguard mechanism enabling bill, which would allow the nation’s 215 largest emitting facilities to create and trade carbon credits as they manage a mandated annual reduction in emissions due to start on July 1.
“The truth of the matter is for a number of years we will still need to use some fossil fuels to get us through this” transition, the minister said.Labor says it has a mandate from last year’s election for the safeguard mechanism changes, while the Greens believe their stance is equally justified as its campaign based on opposition to gas saw the party’s vote increase, giving it more senators and MPs.
Greens leader Adam Bandt said Labor’s plans would “make the climate crisis worse and actual pollution will go up from new coal and gas projects opening”.
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