Labor's climate plan is nothing but thoughts and prayers unless it has a plan to end old growth logging, the Greens say.
The government has accepted the Climate Change Authority's 2035 emissions targets, but refuses to stop old growth logging, a step the CCA says is required to meet even the bottom of Labor's weak target range.
The report also found that protecting native forests, reducing deforestation, and increasing environmental plantings are essential to cutting emissions.
Yet Climate Minister Chris Bowen dismissed the advice as "commentary," while Agriculture Minister Murray Watt confirmed Labor has no intention of ending old growth logging in Tasmania.
"Labor's 2035 target range is pathetically low. The science-based advice from the independent Climate Change Authority makes it clear that even Labor's bottom-of-the-range target of 62% reduction by 2035 can't be met unless we stop logging old growth forests," Australian Greens Forests spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said..
"The government can't simply pretend this advice wasn't provided."
"Labor needs to announce a date to end old growth logging, and if they're not going to do that they need to explain where they are going to find the emissions reduction to make up the shortfall."
"Minister Bowen's characterisation of the Climate Change Authority advice as "possibilities" or "commentary" is deceitful. The advice made it clear that ending old growth logging was "required" and no amount of dishonest spin from Minister Bowen can change that fact.
"The fact is that the government doesn't have a plan to meet its 2035 emissions reduction target, low as it is. We are not going to meet even a target so lacking in ambition as Labor's with thoughts and prayers. We need a plan and the government doesn't have one."
"Ending native forest logging and reining in land clearing are essential to meeting Australia's emissions reduction targets."
"Protecting our forests is the cheapest, fastest, and most effective way to cut emissions and safeguard biodiversity. It would save money, protect biodiversity and massively reduce emissions."
"Labor's position is climate denial in practice."
