As promised, today's bill would legislate a target of net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. That's good, but 30 years from now. And it requires the Minister to produce plans to achieve the act's targets. BUT...
The first milestone target isn't until 2030! In the last election, the Libs promised to strengthen the existing inadequate 2030 target and set interim targets to hit that. Today's Act abandons this pledge.
Today's bill does not strengthen the 2030 target, but merely aspires to "exceed" it. Under proposed Act, the Minister is required to produced 2 progress/assessment reports every 5 years, but the first doesn't come until 2028.
The accountability provisions are weak, and there are no meaningful enforcement mechanisms to meet targets. The Act would establish an Advisory Body, appointed by the Minister, which would issue annual reports to which the Minister must reply.
The federal Commissioner of the Environment would be tasked with producing an independent assessment/progress report, but only once every 5 years.
And that, friends, is my summary of the much-anticipated GHG reduction accountability act. This government does not appear to get the #ClimateEmergency We need a real emergency plan.
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