Climate change is the greatest challenge facing NSW.

Human activities like driving motor cars and burning coal to produce electricity are threatening our health, food supply and security. Greenhouse gas emissions are changing the climate in ways that will spiral increasingly out of control.

Australians are the highest per capita producers of greenhouse gas emissions in the world and the biggest exporters of coal.

The Greens are committed to a rapid transformation of NSW’s energy industry to low emission renewable energy options such as solar and wind power, energy efficiency and conservation measures. The transition away from coal will incur some costs that must be equitably shared but the change will create economic opportunities and large scale employment growth.

The Greens are committed to:

• substantial and immediate reductions in NSW’s greenhouse emissions, leading to at least 80% reduction (based on 1990 levels) by 2050;
• stopping the building of coal fired power stations and the expansion of coal mining, and “just transitions” funding for coal-dependent communities to develop low carbon economies;
• renewable energy targets of 15% of all energy generated by 2012 and 25% by 2020, and an industry development policy to create large numbers of high quality jobs in NSW;
• rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions using wind energy, crop wastes and solar heating (including solar hot water) with natural gas as a transition fuel;
• reduce total energy consumption by 10% by 2011 and by 15% by 2015 using mandatory energy efficiency standards;
• supporting a distributed electricity industry, including widespread use of rooftop solar panels and increased community-level control; and
• carbon pricing, preferably as a carbon tax where the polluters pay or, as a second best option, as a well designed carbon trading scheme.

For more information:

• Read 2 Degrees to Midnight: NSW Greens MPs' Guide to Climate Change Action (2Mb PDF; hard copies are available from John's office)
  
• See the Climate Futures website, with information about the Greens' private members bill to phase out coal and rapidly speed up renewable energy production
  
• See The Greens NSW Climate Change and Energy Policy.

Media:

• For all John's media releases about Energy and Climate Change issues, click here

Take Action!

• Oppose electricity privatisation
  

Campaigns

John is campaigning in four key areas of energy policy:

• Phasing out fossil fuels like coal (including issues of 'baseload' power)
• Promoting Renewable Energy
• Promoting Energy Efficiency
• Saying a very clear 'no' to nuclear power
• Setting mandatory targets for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions