Greenpeace have today leaked details from the IPCC climate report draft that show Australia tried to rewrite the report to promote coal and weaken the report’s conclusions.

The leaks show the Australian Government tried to have sections about phasing out coal removed, saying coal has a future due to carbon capture and storage.

The comments also show the government tried to have Australia removed from the list of leading fossil fuel producers and consumers, despite Australia being the 5th largest producer.

The Greens will take their fight for strong 2030 targets and greater protection for our environment all the way to Glasgow next month, with Senator Sarah Hanson-Young announced as the party’s representative at COP 26.

Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP said:

“If the Liberals and Labor won’t take any 2030 climate targets to Glasgow, the Greens will,” Mr Bandt said.

“Senator Sarah Hanson-Young will represent the Greens’ calls for bold cuts to emissions in this critical decade for climate action. 

The Northern Territory gas fields hold the equivalent of 70 years worth of Australia’s complete national emissions from all sectors. 

Greens Senator Dorinda Cox says many traditional owners of the lands have raised serious concerns about the lack of consultation, information and respect through the process. 

As the Glasgow climate summit looms and the government’s woeful 2030 targets come under the spotlight, Greens Leader, Adam Bandt MP, has said so-called ‘moderate Liberals’ are having an internal debate about whether to go over the climate cliff head first or feet first, advocating 2030 and 2035 targets that are out of step with the science and won’t fix the government’s problems with the US, UK and other countries.  

The world is cooking, and the Morrison government is sitting on its hands: no targets, no plan and no action. While nature may not have intended to discriminate, geopolitical boundaries that divide the world into the Global South and the Global North make sure that patterns of systemic discrimination continue, as the impacts of climate change, natural disasters and pollution fall disproportionately on communities in low-income nations.

Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP has said that the first ramifications for Australia’s climate delays are starting to show, with the EU ambassador warning that Australia may face carbon tariffs if Scott Morrison doesn’t stump up to Glasgow with strong 2030 targets.

“With no 2030 ambition, Scott Morrison’s going to Glasgow empty handed and he’ll return with carbon tariffs,” Mr Bandt said. 

“By cowardly submitting to Barnaby Joyce over 2030 targets, Scott Morrison has put a target on Australia’s back, exposing our exporters to carbon tariffs.

With a Senate Committee into the Juukan Gorge crisis due to conclude today, the Greens have announced a comprehensive $767 million ‘Caring for Country’ plan to expand protections for Indigenous areas and sacred sites, fund more First Nations ranger programs and legislate environmental personhood to areas of First Nations significance - ensuring that future crises’ like that at Juukan are avoided.

As Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce parade their way towards a fraudulent ‘2050’ climate deal that includes the expansion of coal and gas, the Liberal and National parties’ refusal to lift 2030 targets sets Australia on course to fail the Paris Agreement temperature goals. 

The primary aim of the Glasgow climate summit is to lift 2030 targets. World leaders including Joe Biden and Boris Johnson have pressed Australia and other countries to lift 2030 targets.