Labor have developed a carbon trading method that would allow greenhouse gas emitters to keep polluting through buying forest carbon credits. The Greens are challenged to demonstrate national leadership on Climate and Forests by disallowing any ACCU method, including INFM, from public native forests.
Australia’s public native forests need urgent protection, and it must never be forgotten that there are legislative pathways to achieve this, without carbon trading. It must also never be forgotten that the majority of Australians want an end to native forest logging and climate action simultaneously. Not one at the expense of the other. Greater Gliders, Masked Owls, Swift Parrots, Koalas and Black Cockatoos need forest protection immediately across the nation, this must never be forgotten.
INFM represents a radical and dangerous shift in environmental policy. There are dire implications of shifting responsibility away from governments to act in the public interest by properly regulating, restoring and protecting the environment. Instead relying on market mechanisms to do so.
To that effect a Statement has been published supported by 80 organisations and individuals.
- Notably five senior Gumbayngggir elders and representatives of the Indigenous Australian nation from the Mid North Coast of New South Wales including the area designated for the Great Koala National Park.
- More than 50 environment groups representing thousands of concerned citizens mostly from NSW most certainly supporters of the Greens,
- Along with a number of individuals
Further to the statement above, Wilderness Australia has also published a media release on the senate vote.
Image © Paul Hilton