14 July 2021
ACOSS is disappointed to see that a Government-led Committee Report has not backed a climate change bill to reduce emissions and improve resilience to impacts, despite support for the bill across business, social, finance, health and environment sectors.
ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said "The climate crisis is causing immediate and accelerated damage to people's homes, livelihoods, health, quality of life, employment, and cost of living, and is increasing risks and burdens for future generations.
"The Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation and Mitigation) Bill 2020 proposed by Independent MP Zali Steggall offers a way forward. The submissions made to the recent federal parliamentary inquiry into the Bills demonstrated there was in-principle support for the framework proposed in the Bills across business, social, finance, health and environment sectors, which the government lead committee report has ignored.
"Climate change and a slow, poorly managed transition to net zero emissions are a major threat to ending poverty in all its forms; create economies that are fair, sustainable and resilient; and build communities that are just and inclusive.
"We urgently need a plan to provide confidence that as a nation we will reduce emissions, support people and communities with the transition, and build resilience, in a timely manner. Every degree of temperature, every year, every action matters.
"The Federal Government is increasingly out of step with international action, State and Territory action, business and community action, and what the public want to see happen.
"We urge federal parliamentarians to consider the submissions, consult further, and work together on agreeing and adopting a legislative framework to rapidly reduce emissions in a fair and just way and build community resilience to deal with the impacts already locked in.
View and download the parliamentary report here
