The Cook Government’s climate legislation will worsen the climate crisis, putting West Australians at greater risk of bushfires, droughts, and extreme heat.
Lock the Gate Alliance WA Coordinator Claire McKinnon said the state’s climate bill, introduced today, failed to address WA’s single largest contribution to climate change - the gas industry.
“If the WA Government was serious about combating climate change, it would be working to rapidly reverse the trend of WA’s rising emissions by refusing new and expanding fossil gas projects,” she said.
“Sadly the complete failure of this legislation is no surprise. The gas industry has utterly captured the WA Government.
“In recent months the Cook Government has formalised the removal of the gas export ban for the Kimberley, where companies like Buru Energy and Black Mountain hope to industrialise the landscape with new fracking gasfields, hundreds of kilometres of high pressure gas pipelines, a petrochemical hub, and even an offshore gas processing complex.
“This legislation fails to set state-wide interim targets necessary to reach climate targets consistent with a liveable planet. This bill is filled with intentions to reduce emissions, but no substance to back up how the government will achieve its net zero by 2050 goal.
“This climate bill is consistent with a three degree or more increase in global warming. This is a terrifying scenario that will lead to the failure of food production and major societal disruption.
“The science is unequivocal - governments cannot continue to open new fossil fuel projects if the world stands a chance of limiting global warming to a manageable level. Failure to act now will harm our economy, our natural heritage and our health.
“It is untenable that the Cook Government should continue to prioritise the profits and business priorities of the LNG industry over every other WA business and community wellbeing.
“This climate bill was an opportunity for the Cook Government to prepare for the irreversible impacts of climate change that are already locked in, and to do its bit to stop making the situation worse. It has failed on all accounts.”
ENDS