Finance Minister Mathias Cormann’s comments today that the Federal Government will take an “aggressive deregulation agenda” post-Covid19, is code for cutting corners for big business, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Australians should be concerned that the first thing the Morrison Government will attack will be laws that protect the environment. The Greens will fight this and fight hard.

The Greens have backed the calls by some of Australia’s biggest environmental organisations to extend the timeframe for the review of Australia’s environmental laws.
Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said with the review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) only occurring every 10 years, it was important to make sure consultation and deliberation was adequate.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has welcomed the announcement she is continuing as spokesperson for Environment and Water, and Media and Communications, and adding Tourism and Dental Health to her portfolio responsibilities under the new leadership of Adam Bandt MP.

“This year will be defining for our environment. We are experiencing environmental collapse in the face of a climate crisis and the people in charge are riddled with division and have no plan. There’s a lot of work to do,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

The Liberals, Nationals, Labor and One Nation have refused to support the Greens call for the NSW Government to reinstate the moratorium on floodplain harvesting and water pumping.

Greens Spokesperson for Water Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the Federal Parliament could not wipe it’s hands of this issue.

"The New South Wales Government has selfishly lifted its moratorium on floodplain harvesting and water pumping, jeopardising the entire Murray-Darling River system," Senator Hanson-Young said.

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.
 

Senator for South Australia and Greens Environment Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“This is a huge win for the community, the environment and SA’s tourism and fishing industries. It is good for the planet and jobs.  

“The community who cherish our pristine coastline, the tourism industry that depends on it, and the fishing industry that relies on clean waters have all fought so hard against these environment-destroying plans. Congratulations goes to them.

Debate commenced in the Senate today on the Greens ‘Climate Trigger’ Bill which would require climate impacts and carbon emissions to be assessed before large-scale projects are given environmental approval.

The Bill will now go to the Senate Environment and Communications Committee for consideration through public hearings and written submissions.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who introduced the Bill, said:

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. 

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 will refer the Environment Restoration Fund and the Communities Environment Program to the Auditor General for investigation, after The Saturday Paper reported today the $100m grants were used by the Coalition for pork-barrelling.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the Government's use of the funding looks and stinks like 'sports rorts'.

"A $100m grants program for environment restoration projects has reportedly been restricted to 25 preselected projects, most of them in key seats for the Coalition," she said.