If we want strong climate action, we need to get the moderate Liberals on board

The inability of the federal Coalition to do more on climate change is not simply a failure of politics. It is partly a reflection on those of us who want more action to cut emissions. The political events over the last week have again reinforced the need for business and civil society to work with and strengthen the moderates in the Liberal party to deliver more effective long-term climate action.

 Prime minister Scott Morrison, right, and deputy leader
 of the Liberal party, Josh Frydenberg, on Friday. 

The more conservative parts of the Coalition have made a public sport of railing against any action on climate change. Having spent time talking to the Coalition membership base, I can understand why the people in the party who want action on climate change struggle so much. The deep ideological views of some conservatives will never be bridged by any logical or rational argument.

However, in the long-term this is not the core issue. To deliver an effective and enduring centre-right policy on climate change, we cannot simply bludgeon the more conservative parts of the Coalition into submission. We need to bring the moderate parts of the party closer to where most Australians and business have already arrived.

Read Erwin Jackson’s opinion from The Guardian - “If we want strong climate action, we need to get the moderate Liberals on board.”

Politicians must set aside blinkered ideologies in the climate endgame

Humanity has a big decision to make very soon about its future on a warming planet, but the federal Coalition is still in denial that human-induced climate change even exists, let alone that the climate endgame is upon us.

Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and energy minister
 Josh Frydenberg speak during a press conference
at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday.

The national energy guarantee (Neg) is the latest manifestation of that denial. A third-rate complex, over-engineered policy that will most likely fail to contribute to meeting all three of its main objectives, namely increased reliability of electricity supply, lower energy prices and a long way third, reducing carbon emissions. A compromise upon compromise designed to placate the scientifically and economically illiterate Coalition right wing, which ignores the first priority of any government, to ensure the security of the people. For climate change is now the greatest threat to that security.

Read the story from The Guardian by David Spratt and Ian Dunlop - “Politicians must set aside blinkered ideologies in the climate endgame.”

Enough with the fairy tales about the Paris agreement. It's time for facts

The Paris climate change agreement has been in the news again recently, due to a small rump of the federal Coalition railing against the national energy guarantee. With all the noise being made by a select – and uninformed – few, it has come time to debunk some of their tallest tales.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott at Parliament
 House in Canberra, 13 August 2018.

Before we jump into fact checking, let’s remind ourselves just what the Paris agreement is. Signed in 2015, it is the first truly universal agreement among nations to tackle climate change. It’s not perfect, but the agreement has boosted the momentum to clean up economies around the world.

Read the opinion piece from The Guardian by Ewin Jackson  - “Enough with the fairy tales about the Paris agreement. It's time for facts.”

‘Not a big drama' for electricity industry to slash emissions, says scheme architect

The head of the expert board advising the federal Coalition on its signature energy plan says it would not be a "big drama" for the electricity industry if a future Labor government enforced far stronger cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.

Dr Kerry Schott is advising the federal government on the energy plan.

Labor states say they will withhold final support for the Turnbull government proposal to merge climate and energy policy - known as the national energy guarantee - until they are assured a successive government will not be blocked from ratcheting up carbon savings.

Read the story by Nicole Hasham and Peter Carey from today’s Age - “‘Not a big drama' for electricity industry to slash emissions, says scheme architect.”