The Canberra Liberals have supported a motion in the Legislative Assembly that recognises the importance of phasing out gas in the territory by at least 2045, and have committed to writing to Prime Minister Scott Morrison calling for more ambitious national targets on emissions reductions in line with the ACT's commitments.
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The opposition spokeswoman on climate, Leanne Castley, quoted Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in a speech in support of the motion, moved by Greens member Jo Clay, that endorsed strong climate initiatives and reaffirmed commitments to the territory's legislated emissions reductions targets.
"Why can't we, together as an Assembly, show our young Canberra environmentalists that we are not 'blah, blah, blah'. That we not only have tripartisan support for ambitious emissions reductions targets, but a tripartisan agreed plan on how we will get there," Ms Castley said.
But Ms Castley said the ACT needed to move beyond strong talk on climate action and have firm targeted plans on to reduce emissions, including analyses of costs and benefits and clarity on whether policies were working.
The Assembly resolution, which passed on the voices, will require all party leaders to write to their federal counterparts calling for a series of more ambitious targets on emissions reductions.
Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee will be required to write to the Prime Minister, Mr Morrison, advocating for stronger emissions-reduction targets, having earlier sidestepped the issue on the eve of her trip to the Glasgow COP26 climate conference.
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Greens member Jo Clay, who moved the motion, said she hoped its tripartisan support showed climate change was no longer a political issue.
"This motion is hoping to help put us on this path. That's why I've brought this forward. This motion is calling on the federal leaders from each major party to sign up to the same specific plans that we have in the ACT. It's specifically a tripartisan motion calling for tripartisan action, and I'm really, really hoping that we're there," Ms Clay told The Canberra Times.
Ms Clay said it was too late to be politically divisive on climate action, but said the ACT already had a strong suite of specific climate policies to reduce emissions.
"We've legislated targets. We've got a 10-year history of meeting those legislated targets. So I think we're actually doing really, really well on specific action," she said.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
