The Greens have today backed an expert report from the Climate Council calling for climate change to be a key objective in new environment laws, as Labor signs off approval for the new South Wambo coal project in NSW. The Greens have slammed the Government for approving more fossil fuel projects as we head into a hot dry summer.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens Spokesperson for the Environment:
“Another day, another new coal project approved by the Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.
“The Greens welcome the Climate Council’s expert report today calling for climate change to be a key objective within our environment laws. That’s why we are calling on the Government to work with us on our Climate Trigger Bill currently before the parliament.
“Every time the Minister approves a new coal or gas project it makes the climate crisis worse. That means more frequent and extreme bushfires and extreme weather events.
“Coal and gas approvals wreck our River Murray and our Great Barrier Reef
“Australia’s environment laws are broken. We need laws that stop pollution from new coal and gas projects. The Labor government should work with the Greens to fix them with a Climate Trigger that would new stop coal and gas in its tracks.
“Minister Plibersek has one job as the Environment Minister, but rather than protecting the environment, she keeps giving green light to big coal and gas mines and making pollution worse.”