This month, the smooth closure of the Liddell Power Station will be celebrated as a historic moment of the inevitable and overdue retirement of the polluting coal-burning facility.
Health professionals lobbying for urgent climate action at Healthy Futures are calling on AGL to align its business plans with the Paris Agreement and close its remaining coal-fired power stations to keep catastrophic global warming below 1.5 degrees.
AGL's commitment to close its remaining coal-fired power stations before 2035 is still insufficient, and this month's successful closure of Liddell will show Bayswater and Loy Yang A could be brought forward another 5 years each before 2030.
"We are in a climate emergency and must act now to avoid the worst of the impacts of global warming. AGL is in a position to become a green energy leader and likes to advertise itself as such to no end. But as long as AGL continues to operate Bayswater and Loy Yang A, they will remain one of Australia's largest carbon polluters" said Healthy Futures Energy Transition Campaigner Bronwyn McDonald.
The closure of AGL's Liddell power station in the Hunter Valley, NSW, marks a significant milestone in Australia's transition away from coal and towards renewable energy sources.
This is an important moment in Australia's energy transition and one with especially good outcomes for public health and the climate.
The closure of Liddell power station shows that it is possible to transition away from coal and that it can be done in a responsible and orderly way. Liddell's closure will also immediately see cleaner air for local communities.
"We believe that AGL Energy should take this chance to set an even better example for other energy companies and close its remaining coal-fired power stations within the decade and go fully renewable by 2030," said McDonald.
Healthy Futures believes that AGL Energy should accelerate its investment in renewable energy sources and announce an updated climate action plan that shows how it will align with the Paris Agreement and 1.5-degree target.
About us:
Healthy Futures is a network of health and community service workers working together to take action on climate change and protect health.
