An unprecedented alliance of business, union,
environmental, investor and welfare groups has been formed to forge what it
sees as urgent common ground on climate policy.
The highly unusual coalition - to be branded the
Australian Climate Roundtable - comes as developed nations gear up for the
Paris Climate Conference in December where leaders will be under pressure to
update their strategies for dealing with climate change.
While Australia’s main political parties support the
international goal of limiting climate change to less than two degrees above
pre-industrial levels, the Roundtable warns the objective will require “deep
global reductions”.
The high profile members cover some influential employer
and industry lobby groups such as the Australian Industry Group, the Business
Council of Australia, the Australian Aluminium Council, the Energy Supply
Association and the Investor Group on Climate Change.
They will be joined by groups at opposite end of the
political and economic spectrum - the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF),
WWF Australia, the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), the Australian
Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Climate Institute.
In a statement, the Roundtable warned that emissions
reductions on the necessary scale will require “substantial change “and
“present “significant challenges” in Australia and other developed nations.
“We believe Australia should play its fair part in global
efforts to avoid the serious economic, social and environmental impacts that
unconstrained climate change would have on Australia,” the statement said.
In a warning to the federal government the group said
“delayed, unpredictable and piecemeal action will increase the costs and
challenges of achieving the goals and maximising the opportunities.
“We also know that policies won’t work if they don’t last
and stay on investors’ radars. The foundations of climate policy need broad and
durable support, and we all have a role in building it.”
Outlining its goals, the group said the “ideal” climate
policy taken to the Paris conference should:
• be capable of
achieving deep reductions in Australia’s net emissions
• provide
confidence that targeted emissions reductions actually occur
• be based
on the full range of climate risks;
• be well
designed, stable and internationally linked
• operate at
least cost to the domestic economy
• remain
efficient as circumstances change and Australia’s emissions reduction goals
evolve
Highlighting the social risks of climate policy and
climate change, the Roundtable says climate policy must also:
• protect the
most vulnerable individuals;
• avoid
disproportionate impacts low income households
• assist
communities that are vulnerable to economic shocks or physical risks as a
result of climate change or climate policy.
The united agreement from often distant parties on
climate policy goals is significant, according to Business Council of Australia
chief executive Jennifer Westacott.
“There is now overwhelming common ground on the need for
a more certain and meaningful approach to emissions reduction,” Ms Westacott
said.
Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox said the principles
outlined by the Roundtable will help end the “frustration and disruption” to
even changing climate policy.
“The shared recognition that we need to maintain
competitiveness while reducing emissions over time is a major advance and a
solid platform for future policy stability.”
ACTU president Ged Kearney welcomed the action and said
“taking action on climate change, and investing and supporting the local clean
energy industry, is vital if Australia is to create and capitalise on the
high-skilled innovative clean tech jobs of the future.”
Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Kelly
O’Shanassy described it as “an unlikely
alliance, but we’ve come together because the challenge of tackling global
warming is bigger than any of our differences.”
“ Among the things we have in common is a shared goal for
Australia to cut its net greenhouse pollution to zero or below.”
The creation of the Roundtable comes after years of
debate over climate policy and the government’s repeal of Labor’s controversial
carbon tax and emissions trading scheme.
But as preparations are made for the Paris conference,
Prime Minister Tony Abbott is under pressure from within the Liberal Party to
prevent Australia from signs up to bind emissions targets.
Mr Abbott has been asked by some members to “examine the
evidence” on climate change before agreeing to further emissions cuts.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt recently said the
government will soon announce its post 2020 target for emissions and that
Australia will play “a constructive role” at the Paris conference.