The following has been written by Professor Andrew Stock, who is a councilor in the Climate Council. It is a call for support of the organisation’s Roadmap to a Renewable Future, and take issue with a government that is actually blocking progress to cutting down carbon emissions. The Roadmap contains 12 key policy principles, including, cutting electricity emissions by 60 percent by 2030, to reach zero well before 2050, nationally exceeding state and territory renewable targets, not capping them, achieving at least 50 to 70 percent renewable energy by 2030 and encouraging investment in new clean power supply well in advance of coal closures.

Australia needs a fresh approach to cutting greenhouse gas pollution from the electricity sector. Yet the Federal Government’s latest NEG proposal for lower emissions targets and supporting ageing coal power is woefully inadequate.

Data released last week shows Australia’s greenhouse gas pollution levels have risen again for the third consecutive year (1). Not enough is being done now to cut emissions as the window to tackle climate change is rapidly closing.

Australia’s transition to a future powered by clean, affordable and reliable renewable energy and storage is underway, being driven by the Renewable Energy Target and state and territory policies. The NEG proposes capping state and territory action, putting at risk investment and jobs in Australia’s booming renewable energy and storage sector.

Concerningly, the NEG could result in less renewable energy by 2030 than if the Federal Government was simply sitting on its hands, and it will lock Australia into doing little or nothing to reduce emissions across the National Energy Market (NEM) for well over a decade.

The proposed NEG will take Australia backwards. It won’t deliver what’s needed to tackle climate change, it won’t improve reliability or affordability, and will add more red tape. We need to get as many change makers as possible to see our Roadmap before April, when Australia’s state and federal energy ministers gather for the next COAG Energy Council Meeting.

Here’s how we’ll do it:

1. Push the report out in the media, across our website and our social channels, addressing the need for an urgent solution to our broken electricity system, in the form of our Roadmap
2. Meet with key stakeholders and influencers across federal and state governments and the energy sector to push our Roadmap as a viable alternative to the NEG.

Can you help us share our Roadmap far and wide?

With your help, we can promote it as an effective solution and break the current energy policy roadblock.

Once you’ve shared our report online, can you email our report to your local, state or federal member or key influencers in your community?

Although the electricity sector is Australia’s biggest polluter, it’s also our biggest opportunity to take action quickly. We need to convince our policy makers to implement credible and reliable climate and energy policy now, not to use the NEG to kick the climate can down the road for another decade.

We have the solution. So let’s continue to push for change.