Plea to put our foot on the gas

PRESSURE is mounting on the federal government to close loopholes that threaten to exacerbate the climate crisis – or risk its climate-change policy failing.

The contentious safeguard mechanism is one of four key pieces of legislation the government wants passed through the Senate this fortnight, but it will be a fight to do so, as Labor needs to shore up the support of the Greens and independent senators.

The reforms would legislate an emissions-reduction target for the 215 largest emitters.

However, the Greens are concerned about the provision that allows new fossil-fuel projects to begin, while independent senator Jacqui Lambie say the minor party’s desire for the perfect policy risks toppling the whole Bill.

Independent senator David Pocock on Tuesday used the overnight release of a dire Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report to warn there is no time to waste.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said Labor was giving the UN the “middle finger” by pressing on with opening new coal and gas mines, despite the clear warning it could lead to a climate collapse.

“If Labor proceeds to open new coal and gas mines in the face of this very clear, final warning from the world’s scientists and the United Nations, they will be condemning our children to an unbelievable future,” he said on Tuesday.

Senator Lambie has criticised the Greens, conceding that while the reforms are not perfect, they are a “perfect opportunity” for a starting point.

“This is your starting point – and you keep working on it, on decreasing those emissions, keep putting up Bills, keep doing deals with the Labor government and keep reducing it that way,” she said.

“I’m worried that it’s gonna fall over and it’ll be the Greens’ fault. You need a starting point; this is your opportunity to get a starting point so we can keep working on reducing those emissions.”

The government has maintained that gas will be a major tool in transitioning the economy to a decarbonised one, but independents, including Senator Pocock, say there’s enough gas in the system.

One of his major concerns is the provision that allows the 215 biggest emitters to trade carbon credits if they fail to meet their quota.

“We’re essentially allowing our industrial sector to offset their emissions in the land sector,” Senator Pocock said.

“You want to incentivise actual reductions in emissions rather than allowing fossil-fuel companies to use offsets and simply pay to pollute.”

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said the proposal was an “opportunity” to bring down emissions.

He said it would have the same impact as taking twothirds of the country’s cars off the road.

“Ten years of denial and delay has increased the threat of climate change to our health, environment, economy and national security,” Mr Bowen said. “The government is acting rapidly to urgently turn this around.

“If passed, our reforms will come into effect in just 101 days from now.”