A major part of LEAN’s current work is on climate action.
This is because of the importance of climate change in itself, and because of its relationship to many environmental issues (from biodiversity, to forest protection, to CSG fracking, to the Great Barrier Reef).
In the debate on the Clean Energy package, Peter Garrett said:
In all the environmental campaigns I have been involved in or a part of, whether it was supporting the protection of our tropical and temperate rainforests, whether it was looking for better ways to protect and conserve our coastal environments, whether it was making sure that the spoiled waterways of our country were rehabilitated so that they could be productive, or whether it was looking carefully and clearly at how we might best protect those areas of Australia which have high levels of biodiversity, none is so important—nor is there any environmental issue as important—as tackling dangerous climate change.
On climate policy
- LEAN has applauded Labor's principled stand in defence of the Clean Energy Package - with an accelerated transition to a flexible Emissions Trading Scheme in accordance with Labor's 2013 election policy
- LEAN backs Labor in defending the successful Renewable Energy Target
- LEAN is calling for commitment to "19%+" emissions reductions by 2020 (15% plus 4% carried over Kyoto reductions as recommended by the Climate Change Authority, and in accordance with Australia's commitment to take this level of action comparable with comparable countries
- LEAN will be looking to work with Labor's leadership and structures as we review and develop climate policy towards the next election, federally and at other levels
LEAN also looks to engage with the broader range of environmental issues.
- LEAN opposes the rolling back of Federal environment protection to suit state Liberal governments and their mates. (They call it “green tape”. We call it hard won protection for the environment.)
- LEAN members have been out in public opposing the unscientific shark cull from Western Australian Liberal Premier Colin Barnett
- LEAN has backed Labor’s shadow Minister Mark Butler in working against Tony Abbott’s war on the environment. Tony Abbott tried to narrow World Heritage protection for Tasmanian forests, is allowing dumping of dredge spoil in the Barrier Reef Marine Park, and handing decisions that impact our most precious natural areas back to state governments.
- LEAN state divisions have also been active on these and a range of other issues.
LEAN hopes to have more ISSUES pages developed in coming weeks. Please bear with us.
If you’d like to see more action on an issue, contact us to see how you can contribute to making it happen.