As one-by-one, governments at local, state and national levels, including the UK, France, Canada, Ireland and Argentina, declare a Climate Emergency, NSW Greens MPs Cate Faehrmann and Tamara Smith, Member for Ballina, have called on the state government to declare a climate emergency in both houses of parliament.
The Greens say that emissions continue to rise in NSW and around the world despite the dire calls of the IPCC and the United Nations Climate Panel for nations to rapidly reduce emissions.
Cate Faehrmann MP
Ms Faehrmann says the most recent report by the UN Climate Panel states that national emissions targets will need to triple to limit warming to 2 degrees globally and would require a rapid, global mobilisation like we have never seen before to reach the preferred limit of 1.5 degrees.
‘Since 2016 global carbon emissions have continued to grow,’ she said.
‘We are on track for apocalyptic levels of warming and each day we don’t take action we are sacrificing future generations to live on an uninhabitable planet.
‘Governments around the world have seen the writing on the wall and are declaring a climate emergency. We cannot afford to sit on our hands any longer. The Government must declare a climate emergency in NSW,’ she said.
Tamara Smith MP
Ms Smith says the chaotic approach to climate policy from the state and federal governments is creating a vicious cycle in terms of ability to do our part in Australia.
‘Aspirational targets coupled with ad hoc and uncoordinated government intervention in the electricity market is crowding out private investors that can deliver new generation capacity and much faster,’ she said.
‘In an emergency, everyone stops what they are doing and focuses on the real danger. We need the Liberals and Nationals in this state to declare a climate emergency and take urgent action to address climate change every single day’.
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