Garnaut Report A Major Challenge For Brumby
Thursday 21 February 2008
The release today of the Interim Garnaut Report presents a major challenge for the Brumby Government, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change, David Davis, said today.
“Professor Garnaut talks about the need to reduce greenhouse emissions and to do so now. However under the Brumby and Bracks Governments, the longer term trend in emissions has shown a sharp increase,” Mr Davis said.
The most recent data available, from the Federal Government’s Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts, shows in 2005 Victoria’s greenhouse emissions were 121.9 megatonnes, up from 119 megatonnes in 1999 under the previous government.
While there was some decrease in Victoria’s emissions between 2004 and 2005, the trend line for the period of the State Labor Government proceeds solidly and worryingly upwards.
“The bottom line is Victoria now emits more greenhouse gas than it did eight years ago. John Brumby, as Treasurer first and now Premier, has allowed greenhouse gas emissions to increase despite having in his hands many of the key levers that could have prevented a growth in greenhouse emissions,” Mr Davis said.
Labor’s 2002 election policy The Sustainable State – Labor’s Plan for a Greener Victoria had the goal of:
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 8.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
“Victorians are still waiting for results from the Brumby Government and the warnings of Professor Ross Garnaut only make that failure even more apparent,” Mr Davis said.