How do we effect change for a cleaner and safer environment?

2025 first preference votes suggest the major parties are struggling to represent the people of Australia.

Background

In a recent blog we explained why many Australians have felt seriously let down by federal Labor on climate.  And with the federal Liberal and National parties unable to decide whether net zero is necessary we need to look at different ways of driving change.
We need to show that people can drive change even if governments are too timid.

In this blog we look at what needs to be done and how to achieve the required outcomes.

What needs to be done

Firstly, let’s look at what changes could be made 

• to achieve an emissions reduction of over 75% by 2035
• to reduce the level of emissions caused by our exports.

There are a number of areas where the current government and the previous coalition government have prioritised the wishes of the fossil fuel companies and other parties over the wishes of Australians.  There is also one area where the Labor party could drive significant change if it had the courage. If we could tackle these areas, we could achieve an emissions reduction of over 75% by 2035.

Here are some ideas and actions that are missing from existing plans.

Carbon tax revisited

The first item, and one that could make a significant difference, is one that only the current Labor Government might consider, this is the re-introduction of a carbon tax, an idea that is being revisited, particularly as a ‘least cost’ approach.

While the carbon tax was unpopular when originally introduced it could be sold to the public as a tax that would:

• Make gas and coal exporters make a financial contribution towards the Australian people
• Provide an incentive for individuals and businesses to switch to green electricity
• Help protect our native forests
• Reduce other taxes

In his new book Let’s Tax Carbon: And Other Ideas for a Better Australia, Ross Garnaut argues that “A levy on the big polluters will help fund Australia to become a carbon-free energy giant, lower the cost of living and assist the world to cut emissions.”

Solutions across the economy

Other measures that would help us to reduce emissions more quickly are:

• Gas
  • Announce a phase out of residential reticulated gas and a date by which the gas distribution businesses must cease supplying residential customers, to support an orderly, planned transition instead of further uneven shutdowns, which could impact vulnerable households and renters the most.
  • Make industrial and large commercial customer usage information publicly available.
  • Explain how biogas is going to meet industry demand – and at what cost. The current discussion regarding bio-gas lets people put off decisions while providing no relevant details as to cost and availability.

• Efficiency and insulation
  • Prioritising energy efficiency and insulation of homes and businesses will help manage power demand.
  • Large sectors of industry are currently inefficient after years of cheap fuel.  These businesses will close due to inefficiency or will themselves become efficient.
  • Productivity Commission: Electricity market reform and extending the Safeguard Mechanism will help drive emissions reduction.

• Fossil fuel subsidies
  • Stop fuel subsidies – they make no sense in the current climate.
  • If subsidies are removed there will be greater electrification and reduced emissions.

• Major public transport projects
  • A fast rail service between Melbourne and Sydney could be electric powered and would greatly reduce air travel between these two cities and would greatly reduce emissions.

• EVs
  • We would accept the introduction of a weight-linked road tax that applied to all vehicles.  This would be a fairer tax as it would place a higher charge on vehicles that cause greater damage to our roads and society.  
  • We would like to see the Government providing a small financial incentive to assist drivers to transition to electric vehicles.

• Trucks
  • Set targets for building refuelling infrastructure for trucks, with Australia’s first electric truck charging hub coming to Laverton soon.
  • Remove fuel subsidies (see above).
  • Follow Europe’s lead – in Europe logistic giants, transport companies, and the power sector are calling for zero emissions targets for transport.

• Logging
  • Stop logging of native forests. Sadly, Australia has the highest rate of deforestation in the developed world. It’s estimated that at least 700 threatened animal species across Australia depend on trees for food and shelter, including greater gliders, koalas, possums and flying foxes.
  • Leading researchers are calling for a cease to native forest logging if Australia wants to meet its net zero targets in coming decades. The researchers, from The Australian National University (ANU) and Griffith University, say only native forests can remove carbon from the atmosphere at the rapid rate required. Professor Brendan Mackey from Griffith University said carbon emissions need to be reduced by around 15.3 megatons each year for the next nine years if the government’s target is to be met. This is about the same as the annual net carbon emissions generated by logging our native forests.”

• No more coal and gas
  • We should stop all new project extensions and approvals and we should place high taxes on existing exports. 
  • Not only would we be financially better off but we would materially reduce emissions. 
  • Use the revenues raised to accelerate the transition at home and overseas.

Our democracy matters

• Honesty dealing with issues
  • Voters can easily become cynical when governments try to hide their bad behaviours.

• Voting
  • In the end voters can have the final say at the ballot box.  We do not have to rely on parties with tired climate policies.
  • Vote out parties and representative that do not have effective solutions and replace them.
  • Make sure that you understand the preferential voting system – it is possible to vote for your chosen party and still have a say if your party is not elected.  
  • Start research now to find parties and representatives willing to make changes.
  • Find and support politicians with credible and effective climate policies, given that many constituents are currently represented by parties who lack climate credibility and are not willing to make necessary change.
  • Listen to David Pocock talk about how to achieve change.

We can make a difference. We have been part of changing Federal politics in Kooyong and we can do it in other places.

Further Information

2035 Climate Target: 62-70% is too low – we must power past 75%

 

Excluding Australia’s land clearing loophole shows we have hardly reduced emissions, and our targets are low

Without the land use sector, our emissions have only dropped by 4% in the last 20 years (ABC, using Climate Analytics data).

 

The Climate Council has provided an apples with apples comparison of climate targets that takes into account baseline years and methodologies including Australia’s land clearing exemption to arrive at climate pollution per person data and compare targets.

Carbon Tax

• Prof John Quiggan, UQ, traces the history of Australia’s approaches to carbon prices, and states that “if either the emissions trading or the carbon pricing scheme had been maintained, Australia would be better placed”. At this point a $70 shadow price on carbon has been introduced to be used when considering “the benefits and costs of [energy] rule changes.” Although Europe and other countries have driven significant change towards clean energy with little economic impact, Quiggan states that “rigid opposition from the Coalition and the political caution (some might say cowardice) of Labor mean we won’t see a real price on carbon any time soon.”

Fossil fuel subsidies

• The Australia Institute: “Fossil fuel subsidies cost Australians $14.5 billion in 2023-24” – this is more than we spend on “the army, the air force, foreign aid or First Nations health”. $10bn of this went to the mining industry, $1.6bn to aviation, and is set to increase for FY 2026/27. Other grants include $520 million for coal from the Queensland government, $3bn for gas from the NT government, $45m from NSW for coal.

Transitioning manufacturing and exports

• Superpower Institute: we can benefit greatly from a transition to green exports: huge renewable resources, mineral resources. including critical minerals and good infrastructure – limited initial support to new industries would bring a boost to regional jobs, and “a continuing boost to productivity and prosperity”.

High Speed Rail

• Four hours from Sydney to Melbourne? The new High Speed Rail Authority has been tasked to deliver a(nother) business case.
• Medium speed rail option would improve the existing 11 hour service to 6 hours, faster than the nine hour car trip: “laying just 200km of new, straighter track to replace an existing 250km stretch of steam-age railway would deliver a quicker service within four years”.