Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP, has commended Australia’s leading climate scientists for their courage in warning that both Liberal and Labor’s climate policies are dangerously inadequate.
 
Three of Australia’s leading specialists on climate change – Professor Will Steffen, Professor Lesley Hughes, and Dr Pep Cannadell - have today warned that Australia needs to hit net-zero carbon emissions before 2050, including significant reductions in the next ten years, if we’re to keep global warming well below 2 degrees and honour the Paris Agreement.
 

Greens MPs have used the Federal Parliament to demand justice for Julian Assange, as his extradition hearing begins in London.

In the House of Representatives today, Greens Leader Adam Bandt has called for Mr Assange to be brought back to Australia, while in the Senate, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson today questioned the government and yesterday moved a motion urging the Parliament not to be silent on the criminalisation of journalistic activity.

Quotes attributable to Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP:

Greens Leader Adam Bandt has introduced a Bill into the House of Representatives - Liability for Climate Change Damage (Make the Polluters Pay) Bill 2020 - which will make fossil fuel companies liable for damage from the climate crisis, granting climate victims such as recent bushfire survivors or tourism businesses affected by fires or reef bleaching the right to sue thermal coal, oil and gas companies for damages. Governments would also have the right to bring actions in their own right or on behalf of affected persons.

Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt has warned that achieving net zero emissions by 2050 while opening new coal mines will not save us from the climate emergency, and called on Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison to commit to a strong 2030 target and a plan to phase out coal.
 
Today, Labor Leader Anthony Albanese committed the party to a target of net zero emissions by 2050, however he refused to indicate a 2030 target or commit to concrete steps to cut pollution and tackle the climate crisis.

Adam Bandt MP said:

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has responded to the Prime Minister’s bushfire Royal commission announcement.

“This Royal Commission looks like a climate whitewash.”

“I’m sure the Commissioners will do their best, but Scott Morrison’s terms of reference are designed to skate over the climate crisis and minimise the Prime Minister’s own contribution to these coal-fueled mega-fires.”

“Climate gets only some passing references, but it should be centre stage.

Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt has slammed Anthony Albanese’s move to adopt a net zero by 2050 pollution target, saying it will blow the 2 degrees budget and mean Australia gives up on the Paris agreement.

It is expected that Anthony Albanese will tomorrow announce that Labor will adopt a target of net-zero by 2050, without any target for 2030. Based on current projections, a simple straight-line reduction from 2022-2050 would blow Australia’s ‘2 degrees’ budget (as determined by the Climate Change Authority) and would likely exceed the 2 degrees budget as early as 2034. 

Greens Leader Adam Bandt said today’s jobs figures reveal a jobs crisis in Australia, especially amongst young people, and underscore the need for urgent government intervention to provide meaningful, secure work in a climate-challenged economy.

“These figures reveal a government with no plan to create meaningful work for young people in a climate-challenged economy,” said Mr Bandt.

“Nearly one in three young people either doesn’t have a job or doesn’t have enough hours of work. It’s a national scandal.”

The Australian Greens have responded to reports that India will stop importing thermal coal within 4 years, saying that it is the death knell for the Adani project and the beginning of the end of Australia’s thermal coal industry.

India’s Minister of Coal and Mines on Tuesday reportedly said as part of a planning meeting for the future of the coal industry that the country would stop importing coal by financial year 2023/24.

Quotes attributable to Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP:

The Prime Minister's leaked plan to adopt a so-called "technology target" instead of committing to Australia reaching net zero emissions by 2050 is nothing more than a smokescreen, said Leader of The Australian Greens Adam Bandt, MP.

"We're in a climate emergency and yet instead of coming up with a plan to phase out coal like Germany has done, Scott Morrison is throwing up a technology smokescreen," Mr Bandt said.

The Greens are calling for a Royal Commission to fully investigate the extent of wage theft and below-award payment in Australia following reports today that Coles underpaid its staff by almost $20 million dollars, said Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP.

"Once again, we've seen that failings in our industrial laws are allowing some of Australia's biggest companies to pay workers at below award rates," said Mr Bandt.