Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Introduction

We are at a turning point in history.

We are on the eve of the olympics of international relations and the world is coming together at COP26 to set out the plan to safeguard our way of life.

The Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation and Mitigation) Bill 2021 is the proven plan that will put Australia in the driving seat of the new alliance of nations committed to a net zero world.

We are on the eve of the biggest disruption that can solve the climate crisis. We are at a turning point. There is cause for optimism but we cannot afford to delay as was made clear in the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

We risk hitting 1.5 degrees of warming in the 2030s which will be devastating to our global economy, ecosystems and our way of life.

There are moments in history when leaders have the opportunity to show what they are made of, and this is one of them.

The major sectors of our economy: energy, transport, industry, and agriculture, are being transformed by new technologies.

Market forces are a tailwind behind us and as a result, we are decarbonising—but, make no mistake, not fast enough. Technology needs clear targets to drive investment and uptake. We have the tools. We need to roll out mature technologies at scale and fast. Let's be clear: this is a race.

Countries like the United States, Japan and Korea understand this urgency and have committed to double their action and roll out technology solutions by 2030.

This is a critical decade, and they are accelerating, determined to grasp the economic opportunities of the net-zero economy.

The Morrison government has spent so long denying the need to act that it has failed to deliver a clear plan and framework.

The work has been done for them. It's the climate change bill.

The government have focused on technologies that have failed to deliver, like carbon capture and storage. They are focusing on putting out greenwashing websites whilst approving coalmines. They claim credit where credit is not due, because the work is being done by others.

Emissions are down only because of the drought and COVID-19 restrictions. A pandemic and a drought are not climate policies.

The Prime Minister is desperate to do a deal with the Nationals on net zero by 2050, but that is meaningless without a strong interim target. Decarbonising 30 years into the future is not enough anymore.

We need to lock in ambitious targets and a framework to get to net zero into law. We can accelerate the transformation of the economy, and we can all benefit from the new opportunities these technologies will bring.

The climate change bill has been endorsed by the business, industry and investment communities. They are forging ahead but require policy certainty to make serious decisions.

There is a global capital pool of more than $1.7 trillion per annum and growing that Australia may miss out on due to a lack of policy certainty.

The Business Council has said that the policy framework in the legislation of these bills provides:

… an architecture which will be critical to mapping out a planned and predictable approach to emissions reduction across the economy as we work towards the net-zero target in 2050 …

So, rather than smooth the way for business, the government is throwing obstacles in their path by not adopting this bill, and now Australia risks being skipped as a destination for investment.

We need to adopt the bill before COP26 and restore confidence for the business community.

We know that two out of three coal jobs will disappear in the next two decades, whether the Nationals like it or not.

We have been warned. Change is coming, and we must plan and prepare for that change. That disruption is underway—make no mistake—and these communities are being left unprotected and unprepared. There is no point in selling them fantasies that industries will be around forever when they simply will not be.

We must not protect old industries. We must protect people and communities. There is a very important distinction to be made.

I've consulted broadly with community, business, unions, academics and not-for-profits. The bill we have today has important new provisions.

To ensure the bill is relevant in a decade's time and working effectively, the bills will now be reviewed every 10 years after commencement. They are based on the experience of the United Kingdom's Climate Change Act. Witnesses suggest that statutory duties on the minister should extend to meeting the target and adaptation plans.

The minister must now take all reasonable steps to ensure that the target is met and that objectives set out in adaptation plans are achieved.

On targets, I've heard the concerns of many in relation to interim targets and introduced an aspirational, ambitious target of 60 per cent emissions reduction on 2005 levels by 2030. The US are at 52 per cent. The UK are at 68 per cent. We must have a plan that at least puts us in the leading group.

We have to be ambitious. It's the key to being competitive on the international stage and being a destination for investment. It's in line with our trading partners.

Our adaptation plans will now be disallowable instruments, alongside emissions budgets, to ensure the parliament—this place—has oversight over such important instruments and can chart our course to action on climate change.

I call on the government to allow debate and an open vote on the climate change bill. Take the climate change act to COP26.

Show leadership and restore our international standing.

Set up policy certainty for communities and industries and unleash a wave of investment in the technologies that we need to get to net zero.

To every member in this place: you have a responsibility to your communities and future generations.

It's time to pass the bill, not the buck.

I cede the remainder of my time to the member for Mayo.

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