Sunday, June 1, 2008

MINIMALIST EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGETS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY LOST

Is Bartlett Up-To-Date on Latest Science?

Tasmanian Greens MP Nick McKim
Deputy Leader and Climate Change Spokesperson

Sunday, 1 June 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed the release of the government's
draft emissions reduction legislation, but labelled David Bartlett's
emissions reduction targets as inadequate and not reflecting
contemporary climate science.

Greens Shadow Climate Change spokesperson Nick McKim MP said that the
legislation should contain interim targets to reduce Tasmania's
emissions and a far stronger 2050 target than Mr Bartlett's minimalist
60%.

"The latest science is telling us that we need immediate and significant
reductions in our emissions, and by proposing a reduction target of just
60% by 2050 Mr Bartlett is showing that he has not done his research on
this issue," said Mr McKim.

"Tasmania is uniquely positioned to respond to the challenges and
opportunities of climate change, but for this to occur we will need to
see far stronger leadership than Mr Bartlett has offered today."

"Climate change is clearly the biggest policy challenge facing the new
Premier but while he continues to fiddle, the planet continues to burn."

"Mr Bartlett's failure to commit to specific interim targets shows a
lack of urgency which is unacceptable given the recent warnings."

"We've heard a fair bit of rhetoric from Mr Bartlett about 'clever and
kind', but this is a long, long way from a clever target."

Mr McKim said that the policies of old-style political parties like the
Labor Party are directly responsible for climate change, and on all the
evidence they lack the political will to act strongly enough to address
the problem.

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