Kevin Rudd and John Key must talk about solving climate change as part of the solution to the economic crisis, Greenpeace said today.
The comments come as the two leaders meet in Sydney.
“We strongly urge Key and Rudd to follow the vision laid out by President Obama and other world leaders, and to lay the groundwork for a low carbon economy and green collar jobs,” said Greenpeace Australia Pacific Head of Campaigns Steve Campbell.
“Global leaders around the world are increasingly acknowledging that the dual climate and economic crises must be solved simultaneously and that low carbon technologies and industries are the only realistic formula for economic survival.
“You only need to look at the stimulus packages coming out of the US, and developing countries like China and South Korea to see that green measures should be playing an integral part of the solution.(1)
“Yet neither the Australian nor New Zealand Governments have grasped the imperative of solving the two global crises together. Rudd and Key seem intent on sticking to the same thinking that brought about this mess in the first place.”
Subsidies to fossil fuel energy interests were today’s “sub prime” investment, said Greenpeace New Zealand Climate Campaigner Simon Boxer. “By continuing to tip their hats to fossil fuelled industries, Rudd and Key are missing key opportunities for business growth. Moreover, they’re making the climate crisis worse.
“Urgency is certainly required in how we respond to the recession but there is an ‘unlooked’ for opportunity here as well and that is to ensure our recovery achieves economic, energy and climate security
“We can recover from an economic recession, but if we don’t do that by moving to a low carbon economy, the climate crisis will make today’s economic woes look like a walk in the park””
He said Australia and New Zealand were part of the umbrella group of countries that had consistently tried to stall UN climate talks. “If Key and Rudd they continue to drag their heels in the lead up to Copenhagen in December, they will seriously undermine global climate security.”
Of all countries, Australia and New Zealand should be aware of the risks of climate change.
“Australia has just suffered one of its greatest natural disasters in history, while New Zealand farmers continue to suffer from prolonged drought and more intense, frequent flooding. These weather events have been linked to a changing climate and they’re exactly the kind of events climate scientists say we can expect more of.
“Both leaders need to signal to the world that they’re taking the climate crisis seriously and are looking out for the future of their country, and that of the planet. It’s time Rudd and Key took some responsibility.”
Greenpeace is calling on Australia and New Zealand to commit to emission reduction targets of 40 per cent by 2020, as part of the UN climate negotiations culminating in Copenhagen in December.
“We strongly urge Key and Rudd to follow the vision laid out by President Obama and other world leaders, and to lay the groundwork for a low carbon economy and green collar jobs,” said Greenpeace Australia Pacific Head of Campaigns Steve Campbell.
“Global leaders around the world are increasingly acknowledging that the dual climate and economic crises must be solved simultaneously and that low carbon technologies and industries are the only realistic formula for economic survival.
“You only need to look at the stimulus packages coming out of the US, and developing countries like China and South Korea to see that green measures should be playing an integral part of the solution.(1)
“Yet neither the Australian nor New Zealand Governments have grasped the imperative of solving the two global crises together. Rudd and Key seem intent on sticking to the same thinking that brought about this mess in the first place.”
Subsidies to fossil fuel energy interests were today’s “sub prime” investment, said Greenpeace New Zealand Climate Campaigner Simon Boxer. “By continuing to tip their hats to fossil fuelled industries, Rudd and Key are missing key opportunities for business growth. Moreover, they’re making the climate crisis worse.
“Urgency is certainly required in how we respond to the recession but there is an ‘unlooked’ for opportunity here as well and that is to ensure our recovery achieves economic, energy and climate security
“We can recover from an economic recession, but if we don’t do that by moving to a low carbon economy, the climate crisis will make today’s economic woes look like a walk in the park””
He said Australia and New Zealand were part of the umbrella group of countries that had consistently tried to stall UN climate talks. “If Key and Rudd they continue to drag their heels in the lead up to Copenhagen in December, they will seriously undermine global climate security.”
Of all countries, Australia and New Zealand should be aware of the risks of climate change.
“Australia has just suffered one of its greatest natural disasters in history, while New Zealand farmers continue to suffer from prolonged drought and more intense, frequent flooding. These weather events have been linked to a changing climate and they’re exactly the kind of events climate scientists say we can expect more of.
“Both leaders need to signal to the world that they’re taking the climate crisis seriously and are looking out for the future of their country, and that of the planet. It’s time Rudd and Key took some responsibility.”
Greenpeace is calling on Australia and New Zealand to commit to emission reduction targets of 40 per cent by 2020, as part of the UN climate negotiations culminating in Copenhagen in December.
Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean.
No comments:
Post a Comment