Currently, Australia’s coal-based electricity grid is one of the most polluting in the OECD, and environment groups – representing more than a million Australians – are calling for a plan to make a fast and fair shift to renewable energy.
As the nation’s political leaders prepare to meet at COAG Energy Council meeting for the first time since the federal election, environment groups are calling for the government to develop a plan to retire and replace coal-fired power stations.
This call is based on a report prepared by policy institute Climate Analytics, showing Australia needs to change course in order to meet its international climate commitments. The report, titled For Climate’s Sake: Coal Free by 2030, says Australia needs to steeply decrease coal-based electricity generation in the coming years, and phase it out entirely by 2030, to get on track to meet its national emissions reduction targets and to fulfill its obligations under the Paris Agreement.
The Sunrise Project is proud to be one of seven organisations who are joining the Australia Beyond Coal campaign today, alongside Environment Victoria, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, The Climate Action Network Australia, the NSW Nature Conservation Council, and the Queensland Conservation Council.
The group is inspired by the successes of the Beyond Coal campaigns in Europe and the United States, where hundreds of polluting power stations have been retired and replaced with clean energy.
The campaign aims to raise public awareness of the facts: coal-fired power stations are responsible for a significant share of Australia’s emissions and pose risks to community health. The Australia Beyond Coal website features detailed information on coal-fired power stations across the country and the companies that own them.
Check out the Climate Analytics report here: https://www.beyondcoal.org.au/coal_free_by_2030
Check out the website here: www.beyondcoal.org.au