No new fossil fuel developments - Open Letter from 50 Environmental Organisations
Over 50 Australian environmental and climate organisations have joined together to call on the Federal Government to listen to scientific evidence on climate change and to prevent new fossil fuel projects and expansions.
The open letter, published in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times today, comes as the Federal Government continues negotiations with the Senate crossbench over its Safeguard Mechanism and concerns over the expansion and creation of 100+ fossil fuel projects.
Signed by the likes of Greenpeace, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, the Wilderness Society, GetUp, 350 Australia, Lock the Gate, Oxfam and more, the open letter follows a similar open letter signed by over 100 Australian scientists and experts including Nobel Laureate Professor Peter Doherty and Professor Fiona Stanley.
Original Signatories include:
- The Wilderness Society
- Greenpeace Australia Pacific
- 350.org.au
- FOE Australia
- GetUp!
- Australian Marine Conservation Society
- Oxfam Australia
- Queenslad Conservation Council
- Environment Victoria
- Australian Religious Response to Climate Change
- Comms Declare
- Environmental Justice Australia
- Stop Adani
- Vote Earth Now
- Wadonga Albury towards Climate Health
- Common Grace
- Parents for Climate Action
- Cedemia
- Community Power Agency
- Climate Action Newcastle
- Glen Eira Emergence Climate Action Network (GECAN)
- Darebin Climate Action Now
- Climate Justice Union
- South Australia Conservation Council
- Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC)
- Move Beyond Coal
- The Australian Rainforest Conservation Society
- WA Climate Leaders
- South East Region Conservation Alliance
- Environment Council of Central QLD
- Peoples Climate Assembly
- Zero Emissions Noosa
- Australian Forests and Climate Alliance
- Surfers for Climate
- Green Music Australia
- Bayside Climate Action Group (BCAG)
- CLIMARTE
- CANsign
- ParraCAN
- Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education
- Central Victoria Climate Action
- Zero Emissions Brisbane &
- Coalition for Community Energy
- Environs Kimberley
- Climate Action Hobart
- Climate Emergency Australia Coordinator
- Shire Climate Action Network Coordinator
- Labor Environment Action Network NT (LEAN NT)
- Original Power
- Pacific Islands Council of Queensland (PICQ)
- The Green Institute
- Environment Centre of the Northern Territory (ECNT)
- South East Region Conservation Alliance
- CoPower
- Psychology for a Safe Climate
Additional Signatories:
Protecting our climate means preventing new Australian fossil fuel projects
Australia and the rest of the world are on the precipice of irreversible, catastrophic climate change.
The International Energy Agency (IEA), the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and scientists globally have called for an end to new fossil fuel development as fossil fuels are the key driver of the climate emergency.
Vast areas of Australia are covered by coal and gas production and licenses. Coal and gas mined in Australia currently results in 1.5 billion tonnes of emissions annually, around triple the annual emissions of the UK.
The Australian Government lists over 100 new coal and gas projects as under development in Australia. Projects scheduled to begin before 2030 alone will add a further 1.4 billion tonnes annually by 2030. This excludes emissions from several major projects and vast new gas basins actively supported by Australian governments including the Barossa and Greater Sunrise offshore oil and gas fields, and the Beetaloo, Canning and Lake Eyre unconventional gas basins.
As the world’s third largest exporter of fossil fuels Australia has a special responsibility to stop fuelling the increase in global emissions caused by Australian gas and coal production, both here and overseas. Any serious climate policy must reduce fossil fuel production and emissions. Offsetting a tiny fraction of the total emissions from these projects is not a credible climate solution.
We call on the Australian Government to follow the advice of the world’s scientists and prevent any further new coal and gas developments in Australia.