Thursday, 18 September 2025
● Australia sets a range of 62-70 per cent carbon pollution reduction by 2035 ● Science required a range reaching up to 75 per cent to protect farmers ● People and companies will decide how quickly Australia reduces pollution
Farmers for Climate Action (FCA) notes the Federal Government’s 2035 emissions reduction target of 62-70 per cent.
FCA CEO Natalie Collard said that as a science-based organisation, FCA supported a target range which extended to 75 per cent reductions, which scientists have stated is necessary to protect our farmers and our food supply from worsening droughts, floods and fires, and is possible given clean energy technology is advancing at astonishing rates.
“If we are to protect our farmers and our food supply from worsening fires, floods, and droughts, we need to reduce pollution every year,” Ms Collard said.
“Australia has already managed to reduce carbon pollution by around 28 per cent on 2005 levels, largely through farmers clearing less land. If we reduce carbon pollution by just 5 per cent a year for the next ten years, we will achieve a 75 per cent emissions reduction by 2035.
“Farmers are responsible for much of the emissions reduction we’ve already seen in Australia, but coal and gas have not done their bit. Farmers reduced land clearing substantially to reduce emissions, and now it’s time for coal and gas to slash their emissions, which are hurting our farmers. We all know coal and gas are the problem, producing around 250 million of Australia’s 420-odd million tonnes of emissions a year. Coal-fired power station owners must be allowed to close coal-fired power stations down on the schedules they’ve told us they will.
“Farmers are already struggling to recover from repeated droughts, fires, and floods made worse and more frequent by climate change. ABARES shows climate change is costing the average farmer $29,200 a year, while insurance and farm inputs are skyrocketing. These costs put pressure on prices at the checkout.
“No farmer should have their right to deliver clean energy or to farm the wind or sun on their land taken away. Australian farmers are on track to receive $1 billion in clean energy rent by 2030 whilst still farming sheep, cattle, crops and more on that same land. Farmers are making double incomes from clean energy and farming and clean energy partnerships are voluntary for farmers, unlike coal seam gas and coal takeovers.
“Australians are taking big steps towards saving money and reducing pollution. Australian households are currently installing 1000 batteries a day, and city households have 20 gigawatts of solar panels installed on their roofs - that’s the equivalent capacity of 10 coal-fired power stations, or 20 large wind farms, already on city roofs. Australians and Australian companies are choosing to reduce pollution right now.”
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Contact details:
Les White
0409805122