SYDNEY, March 4 2022 – Coal and gas companies that are driving the climate crisis should bear the costs of extreme weather events like the floods currently devastating the east coast rather than communities on the frontlines, Greenpeace Australia Pacific says.Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt will today unveil a policy to double the current $1000 disaster payment, expand the eligibility criteria and have the increase funded by the fossil fuels companies that are driving the climate crisis. [1]

“Greenpeace Australia Pacific has long advocated for a climate compensation fund paid for by the coal, oil and gas companies whose activities are fuelling the climate crisis and it’s good to see the idea being put on the political agenda in light of the sobering IPCC warnings about the inevitability of more destructive extreme weather events,” Greenpeace Australia Pacific Climate Impacts Campaigner, Martin Zavan said.

“The latest report by the IPCC warns that climate change caused by burning coal, oil and gas, means Australia is facing even more catastrophic extreme weather events of all kinds, with less time between events. This puts local communities in the firing line with compounded climate impacts reducing time for recovery in between.

“Some of the communities affected by the current flood disaster were also hit by flooding last year, and bushfires and heatwaves only years earlier. These stacked disasters make recovery much more difficult, and as well as taking a massive economic toll, there is increasing awareness of the negative impacts on mental health.

“Replacing fossil fuels with clean energy like wind and solar is the best way to fight climate change but the IPCC makes clear that many extreme weather events in the near term are locked in. However, some of the burden can be lifted from communities by slapping the polluters in the fossil fuel industry with the damage bill instead of ordinary Australian families.”

 

Notes

[1] https://adam-bandt.greensmps.org.au/articles/bandt-slams-federal-flood-assistance-payments-calls-coal-and-gas-corporations-pay-recovery 

The latest data from the Corporate Emissions and Energy Data from the Federal Government’s Clean Energy Regulator shows that energy company AGL remains Australia’s biggest climate polluter with its emissions representing more than 10 per cent of Australia’s total.

http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/NGER/National%20greenhouse%20and%20energy%20reporting%20data/Corporate%20emissions%20and%20energy%20data/corporate-emissions-and-energy-data-2020-21 

 

Contact

Greenpeace Australia Pacific Climate Impacts Campaigner, Martin Zavan

0424 295 422

[email protected]