Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, will introduce a Bill into the House of Representatives that would prevent the government using the Snowy Hydro group to build new gas-fired power stations. The Bill will be seconded by Independent MP, Zali Steggall.

Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor has given the NSW market until the end of April 2021 to make final investment decisions on 1000 MW of new dispatchable capacity to replace Liddell or he says he will direct Snowy Hydro to invest in a new gas-fired power station in the Hunter.

The Greens have responded to the early closure of Yallourn by 2028 by slamming the Federal and State governments’ refusal to legislate a clear timetable for all coal closures by 2030 and establish proper transition authorities, saying Liberal and Labor’s unwillingness to plan a coal phase-out has left workers and communities in the lurch.

For too long, the state and federal governments have taken a backseat with the coal power station’s impending closure, despite years of advocacy from the Greens and environmental groups calling for a planned transition.

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says a new report on the impact of global warming on the Murray-Darling makes the fork in the road crystal clear.

“If Scott Morrison doesn’t accept we’re in a climate emergency and start phasing out coal and gas, nothing will save the Murray-Darling,” Bandt said.

“The Prime Minister must choose between crops or coal, because we can’t have both.

“Scott Morrison is failing to protect Australia’s farmers.

“Scott Morrison’s coal-hugging and climate-denial is threatening Australia’s ability to feed itself.

Despite Federal Government approval for the Santos Narrabri gas field, the community still has two years to stop the project and save Narrabri, Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP says.

Santos has until 2022 to decide whether to proceed with the project following an 18 month appraisal phase.

With the project not stacking up economically, environmentally, or against our obligation to stop global warming, the Greens say pressure must be kept on the government and Santos to not proceed.

Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt:

Today’s federal approval of Santos’ Narrabri gasfields will do untold damage to our ability to keep global warming to 2 degrees, the Australian Greens have said. 

Instead of accepting gas expansion through a flawed planning process, the Greens have called for a green recovery - with public investment in clean energy, renewables, and green hydrogen.

Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt:

The Australian Greens leader, Adam Bandt, has called on the leaders of the Liberal, Labor and National parties to stop peddling fantasies and come clean with coal communities about the rapid decline of demand towards 2030.
 
Australia’s three biggest top thermal coal and gas customers have announced zero emissions targets, which would mean a rapid de-carbonization of the electricity sector in the next two decades, with targets likely to be similar to Joe Biden’s 2035 zero-carbon electricity pledge.

Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt has responded to Joel Fitzgibbon’s resignation by calling on Labor to join the Greens in pressuring Scott Morrison to lift his 2030 game.

“The Greens are putting pressure on Scott Morrison over his weak 2030 targets and we hope Labor will now help us,” said Mr Bandt.

“If we don’t take urgent action in the next decade, we may pass the point of no return, where global heating becomes an unstoppable chain reaction.

“Scott Morrison’s woeful 2030 targets have Australia on track for over 4 degrees of global warming.

Responding to calls from the Deputy Prime Minister that he should resign for calling for a phase-out of coal, Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has said that Michael McCormack is a threat to the Australian way of life, that his love of coal is a direct threat to Australia and that he should stand-down for putting Australians’ lives at risk.

“Michael McCormack is a direct threat to Australia’s farmers, our workers and our way of life,” said Mr Bandt.

“Michael McCormack is putting Australians’ safety at risk and he should stand down.

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has responded to Labor’s reported capitulation to the Liberals on coal and gas by saying that with both parties agreeing on increasing new coal and gas exports and Labor having dropped any short-term emissions target, there is currently no difference between the parties on reining in the biggest sources of climate pollution.

“Labor has just agreed with the Liberals on coal and gas,” said Greens Leader, Adam Bandt.

“In a climate emergency, you don’t expand coal and gas developments.

Scott Morrison is isolating Australia from the world and our trading partners with his stubborn refusal to accept the need to decarbonise and confront the imminent collapse of 75% of Australia’s thermal coal export market, said Greens Leader, Adam Bandt.

Australia’s top 3 coal buyers - Japan, China and South Korea - have all committed to net-zero emissions targets by 2050 or 2060. To reach those targets, they will have to decarbonise their electricity sectors even earlier, as zero-emissions electricity is key to enabling zero-emissions transport and industry.