Pass the TREND climate change motion at your local branch!

This motion calls on the State Government to take a series of practical steps to fight climate change. To date, over 60 ALP branches in NSW have passed the motion.

Thanks to LEAN's efforts, the NSW ALP State Conference passed a motion calling on the Government to set specific targets for greenhouse emission reduction measures by strengthening the NSW Greenhouse Plan.

Specifically, the Conference called on Government to specify how much each measure in the Plan is expected to contribute to meeting the Government's announced targets for reducing the State's greenhouse gas emissions to year 2000 levels by 2025 and cutting emissions by 60 percent by 2050.

The significant support for the "Reinforcing NSW Leadership on Climate Change" motion has provided LEAN with credibility to start lobbying key decisionmakers in the NSW State Parliamentary Labor Party and within the NSW Branch of the ALP.

LEAN plans to continue this campaign, building on the momentum to date. The success of the campaign is due entirely to the membership of LEAN: committed ALP members, activists and campaigners in the local branches, building a groundswell of support for the "Reinforcing NSW Leadership on Climate Change" motion.

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"Reinforcing NSW Leadership on Climate Change"

This branch congratulates the NSW Government on its world-class performance to date in managing dangerous climate change.

We call on the Government to build on this success by adopting the following five Smart Energy measures to reduce NSW greenhouse gas emissions:

1. Targets for greenhouse emission reduction measures

Implement the 2006 NSW ALP State Conference resolution to strengthen the Government's NSW Greenhouse Plan by:

a) Specifying how much each measure in the NSW Greenhouse Plan is expected to contribute towards meeting the NSW Government's targets of reducing the State's greenhouse gas emissions to year 2000 levels by 2025 and cutting emissions by 60 percent by 2050;

b) Monitoring progress of each measure towards these targets; and

c) Annually reporting emissions savings achieved.

2. Renewable energy to boost clean energy investment and employment in NSW

Match Victoria's objective of 10% of the state's electricity to come from renewable energy by 2010, and its legislated renewable energy target of 10% by 2016. (This compares to NSW current level of renewable energy generation of about 7%.)

3. Efficient energy use to halve growth in energy consumption

Expand the Energy Savings Fund to a scale sufficient to ensure that energy efficiency (including via measures such as BASIX) reduces by half the forecast growth in energy consumption in NSW between now and 2010.

4. Natural Gas to fill any power gap

Use the NSW Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme to encourage the efficient use of natural gas as a much less greenhouse polluting alternative (compared to coal-fired electricity), for applications such as residential water heating, industrial and commercial cogeneration and, if new generation capacity is necessary, for power stations.

5. Dynamic Pricing and smart meters to reduce peak demand

Reduce the need for massive network investment and rising average electricity prices by requiring the state-owned power networks to use "dynamic pricing", that is, higher prices at times of peak demand and lower prices at other times. Require electricity distributors to provide "smart meters" on request, for no upfront charge to all consumers who want greater control over their energy bills by choosing a dynamic pricing tariff.

These measures are essential to meeting the Premier's Greenhouse Emission Reduction Targets and, by focusing energy investment on innovative, cost effective and strategic investments, will also create jobs, stimulate new technologies and processes for export, and boost the NSW economy.

Please forward resolutions to:

Premier Iemma
Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney NSW 2000

The Convenor
Labor Environment Activist Network
PO Box 118
Mascot NSW 1460

The Hon Joe Tripodi MP
Minister for Energy
Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney NSW 2000

The Secretary
NSW ALP Environment and Infrastructure Policy Committee
PO Box K408, Haymarket NSW 1240

Download File:
Word version of TREND resoltuion for ALP branches [ doc ]