Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today launched the Greens’ six point plan to help small businesses reduce power bills, improve their energy efficiency and switch over to clean energy. Mr Bandt delivered a presentation announcing the policies at a Council of Small Business Organisations Australia roundtable in Melbourne.

From July 1, 2019, the Greens will introduce a $2.2 billion battery storage fund providing household battery storage incentives of up to $7000 per battery (tapering down annually to July 1, 2023). Each quarter, $137.5 million will be made available for use from the fund.

Battery storage in Australia is taking off, with household battery storage uptake tripling in 2017 and expected to reach 33,000 in 2018. However, the Greens recognise the industry is still developing and this boost will improve access for households and help manufacturers reduce costs and increase production.

Lines attributable to Adam Bandt MP, Greens climate change and energy spokesperson:

“After this warning from the Reserve Bank, the Coalition and Labor can no longer avoid having a plan to transition out of coal in an orderly manner.

“Australia’s central economic institution has just confirmed we could tip past the 1.5 degree global warming threshold in as soon as 10 years.

A veritable army will fight new coal; Greens tell Nats on ‘big stick’ legislation to ‘bring it on’.

Snowy 2.0 isn’t enough: Greens

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today responded to the Snowy Hydro 2.0 announcement, noting that if the government was serious about energy storage, it would put in place a national storage target and incentives for storage across the electricity network.

“Snowy Hydro is not enough,” said Mr Bandt.

Morrison's scheme an expensive climate hoax: Bandt

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said Scott Morrison's latest climate 'policy' was an expensive hoax that had no plan to deal with coal.

"There's nothing in this expensive fig-leaf that deals with coal, and if you don't have a plan for coal, you're not serious about climate change," said Mr Bandt.

"This policy will not ensure a safe climate.

"A climate policy that doesn't deal with coal is like a car without wheels. It's an expensive way of going nowhere.

Greens call on Labor to back Marles over coal

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, responded today to the comments from Labor frontbencher, Richard Marles, that “The global market for thermal coal has collapsed, and wonderful – that’s a good thing – because what that implies is the world is acting in relation to climate change.”

Quotes attributable to Mr Bandt:

“He’s right. That’s why Richard and Labor should support my bill to phase out thermal coal.” 

Bandt introduces two bills to stop coal mining

Greens Co-Deputy Leader and climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today introduced two private member’s bills into the House of Representatives that lay down a challenge to the old parties on the mining and export of thermal coal. The first would prohibit the mining of thermal coal in Queensland’s Galilee Basin, effectively outlawing the Adani mine, and the second would phase out the export of thermal coal entirely by 2030.

Court ruling on coal and climate change a game changer: Bandt

Today’s NSW Land and Environment Court ruling preventing a new coal mine in NSW is a game changer Greens climate and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said today.

“This ruling is a game changer,” Mr Bandt said.

“A court has ruled that a coal mine can’t proceed because Australian coal, whether burned here or abroad, will make climate change worse.”