The Government’s Lacklustre Climate Budget Is Under Fire, Just Like The Planet One Day
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said we're on track to "meet and beat" our 2030 targets, while investing millions into fossil fuels in the 2021-22 budget.
The UN predicted that we only have nine years left before shit hits the fan with the climate crisis. Yet in last night’s federal budget announcement, the lack of money allocated to fight climate change, and prevent further damage to the planet, was mediocre at best.
Five climate addresses amounting to $480 million were made on Tuesday, only scratching the surface of our impending environmental disaster. Most of them sound good on paper but simultaneously read like a year 9 geography project.
The Morrison government allocated $29.3 million towards environmental law reforms, and $9.1 million to assess our natural resources that might lead them to consider more renewable energy options. Maybe.
Little funding in budget for renewables or climate change action! When will this government pull it's head out of the sand regarding climate change ?
— Patrick Patullo BA (@Patto61160) May 12, 2021
One of the nicer highlights was a tangential recognition of worsening natural disasters to come with $209.7 million to start up the ‘Australian Climate Service’.
“Australian Climate Service will bring together our best scientists to help us better anticipate, manage and adapt to climate impacts now and for the generations to come,” said Environment Minister Sussan Ley last Wednesday.
On a similar vein as the 2020-21 budget, $11 million will go towards recycling and waste management plans, as well as a $100 million recommitment to ocean ecosystems.
Yet the government’s gestures are undercut by continued investment in fossil fuels and offering nothing substantial on renewables.
When you ignore renewable energy in your budget you tell the world what you really think of climate change.
— versichili (@versichili) May 12, 2021
In this year’s budget, $58.6 million of new funding was given to natural gas projects and supply, and the government will continue to back oil refineries with an unspecified amount of dosh.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s standout phrase last night, ‘meet and beat’, was whipped out in relation to proposed emissions reduction policies: a vague $1.6 billion on “strong and practical action” to deal with climate change, as well as $1.2 billion over a decade towards low emission technologies.
The latter include fossil fuel-related hydrogen hubs and divisive carbon capture and storage methods, as well as trying to reduce livestock methane farts.
This is a budget that accelerates climate change.
Funding fossil fuel corporations is generational genocide.
Get angry #ClimateStrike kids.#auspol #Budget21 #FridaysForFuture #ClimateEmergency— jansant (@Jansant) May 12, 2021
Frydenberg emphasised his “practical, technology-focused approach” specifically over taxes, a jab at the Gillard government’s 2012 implementation of fixed carbon pricing.
The Australian Institute found that fossil fuel subsidies have cost the country over $10 billion over the last financial year, equating to $19,686 a minute, the ABC wrote last month.
As reported in Crikey today, the continued support of fossil fuel companies relates to the hundreds of thousands of dollars the federal government receives in donations from them each year.
Climate Council economist @nickihutley responds to #Budget21. "What I can't forgive is the failure to address our most urgent challenge: climate change. Hydrogen hubs and carbon capture and storage just don’t cut it. To add insult to injury, there are handouts for gas projects."
— Climate Council (@climatecouncil) May 11, 2021
On Monday, the Australian Conservation Foundation released an analysis of federal spending since the Coalition came into power nearly a decade ago.
They found that for every $100 spent by the government, only 53 cents was spent on “programs, grants, policy analysis, research, and staff to address the environmental and climate crisis”, 37 cents on the environment, and a dismal 16 cents on climate.
The ACF’s predictions show a further decline in dedicated climate action spending in 2022-23 and 2023-24 as well.
Gee I guess catastrophic climate change has gone away then? Not one mention that I've heard of any measures in the budget to tackle it – only those to worsen it. Funding for new gas projects and increased subsidies for the fossil fuel industry
— Marian Smedley (@MarianSmedley) May 11, 2021
This is all despite the Morrison government stating yesterday that they’re on track to meet the 2030 Paris target — a reduction of emissions to be ideally 28% below the levels we had in 2005.
“Australia is on the pathway to net zero and our goal is to get there as soon as we possibly can,” Frydenberg said in the House of Representatives last night. “Preferably by 2050.”
Experts said that we’d need to cut emissions by 50% minimum if we’re ever going to get to the first goal on time, the Guardian reported in January. Good luck to us!
Nothing for climate change in the budget. This is solely a budget for the re election of Morrison, the very last thing this country needs.
— Elaine McKay (@ElaineM11584892) May 11, 2021