GREENHOUSE HYPOCRISY ON CLIMATE CHANGE

January 16, 2004 - International experts continue to call for a 60% reduction in greenhouse emissions.

In Australia we are limiting renewable energy to around a true 1% via the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) scheme.

A target of 10% clean energy by 2010 would put Australia at least on the rails to address climate change and boost investment, claimed Mr Chapple.

The Tambling report, a review of the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET), handed down today recommends the status quo, it seeks only to maintain the 'so called' current 2% target' said Mr Chapple.

'What is even more disappointing is that we are not even talking about real figures here. The current 2% figure is skewed by the inclusion of power from Hydro Tasmania. Nearly ¾ of the 2% is not genuine renewable energy.

At the very least, this target should be set at a real figure of expected generated output. This would take the current figure of 9,500 GWh to that of at least 17,500 GWh of renewable electricity a year by 2010' argued Mr Chapple.

'Australians will suffer the consequences of a Government's refusal to accept or understand that without a shift to clean energy targets, we are not playing our part in preventing the impacts of climate change, and our businesses will fall behind internationally' he said.

The report recognises that if Australia does not invest in renewable energy in the short term then it won't realise the benefits in the long term, also states that the status quo will cause a stalling of investment in renewables in three years time.

Already Germany has identified that whilst it sees no need at the moment, it has called for an evaluation of what sort of sanctions may to be applied to those countries that fundamentally refuse to adopt climate change commitments, such as the USA and Australia.

The report highlights that WA is a low contributor to the MRET scheme, which is a result of the failure of the WA government to advance renewable energy.

Climate change cannot be blindly ignored. It will not simply just go away. We are already dealing with worsening bushfires, serious droughts and increasing temperatures, and Australian business and industry will suffer too.

You have to question whether the Federal Government is seriously committed to any possible climate solutions,' stated Mr Chapple.

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