IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE 09 MAY 2024
Sharply rebuking the Albanese Government's endorsement of gas beyond 2050, the Climate Council has labelled today’s Future Gas Strategy announcement as a regressive echo of the past.
Climate Council Head of Policy and Advocacy Dr Jennifer Rayner said: "Today's announcement is more Back to the Future than Future Made in Australia. Australia is already using less gas, so the suggestion we need more of it sounds like Scott Morrison's 'gas led recovery', not Anthony Albanese's 'renewable energy superpower'.
"More gas means more climate pollution and a more dangerous future, it's that simple. The Albanese Government has a choice: cut climate pollution and seize the decade by scaling up clean energy, or support new gas projects. It can't do both.
"Now is not the moment to add to our climate crisis by burning more gas. Signing Australia up to a future made on gas ignores climate scientists, who warn we are at risk of smashing through 1.5C of warming.
“The strategy seems to ignore forecasts of a global oversupply of gas and the government's own plans to develop the workforce and supply chain for clean industries, which can power the next era of Australian prosperity if we go all in on them now.
“This can be Australia’s moment to start a sensible phase out of gas as we scale up the clean alternatives. More gas is a bad bet, against a safe climate future and a thriving clean economy."
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The Climate Council is Australia’s leading community-funded climate change communications organisation. We provide authoritative, expert and evidence-based advice on climate change to journalists, policymakers, and the wider Australian community.
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