It’s a backwards step, missing a historic opportunity to place renewable energy at the centre of Australia’s economic recovery to tackle the catastrophic threat of climate change.
The Government must set a vision for a rapid transition to a low carbon economy with an economy-wide plan, not just outline the tools we’ll use to get there.
GetUp National Director Paul Oosting said:
“The government’s technology roadmap is a backwards step. It’s a sales pitch for the dying gas industry which is trying to steal its way into the economic recovery.
“Australia’s climate future is still being driven by the vested interests of the fossil fuel lobby.
“This is a historic opportunity for the federal government to invest in clean renewable technologies that create sustainable jobs in a green manufacturing industry, and put Australia on a direct path to a safer climate future.
“Australia is poised to become a world leader in renewable energy technology if we make the right investment decisions now.
“There is no place for fossil fuels in a roadmap to reach zero net emission by 2050. The first step is to rule out gas, which is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions.
“For years communities from Borroloola to Gippsland have resisted fracking. The gas industry has no social licence to operate and the government is trying to take control away from communities.
“We need massive public investment in renewable energy, which we already know can reduce emissions, reduce power prices, and protect Australians from the threat of worsening bushfires and drought.
“The way forward is renewable solutions that prioritise workers and a clean energy transition – not investing in last century technology being flogged by the fossil fuel lobby.”