RUDD DIRTIES GREEN POWER

Wednesday, 05 August 2009 22:27

Greenhouse emission reductions, energy use reductions and GreenPower purchases by Australian households, businesses, local councils and state governments are not being translated into real emissions reductions.

“Under Rudd government policies household action is  helping the big polluters to pollute more at a lower cost, instead of helping reduce the threat of climate change.  It’s more of the same that we’ve seen with the CPRS deals – subsidy upon subsidy,” said Jeff Angel, Director of TEC.

“A major national campaign will be launched in coming weeks by the Total Environment Centre, Australian Conservation Foundation, WWF Australia, CHOICE and the Alternative Technology Association to combat this perverse policy,” Mr Angel said.
 
“The Rudd Government is sending a message to Australian families and businesses that their efforts are wasted. This is disgraceful when Australians have shown they are unequivocally committed to reducing their greenhouse emissions.”

The purchase of GreenPower, carbon offsets, and the installation of small-scale renewable energy (such as rooftop solar and solar hot-water systems), save households 6 million tonnes p.a. in greenhouse gas emissions and support economic activity of around $150 million each year. Local and state government energy efficiency schemes, GreenPower purchases, carbon offsetting and other programs enlarge this effort to many hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

“The federal government must rectify this problem by retiring Kyoto and CPRS permits where there are verifiable complementary abatement measures, so the polluters can’t use them.”