Although the government refused to count coal and gas exports in its emissions reduction strategy, Milne said the climate debate had become an “artificial reality”, as if fuel emissions fossils only affect people abroad.
“The whole brouhaha is a ready-made political ploy,” Milne said in an interview.
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He said he was not aware of negotiations between Bandt and Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen and did not want to comment on Bandt’s efforts to reach what appears likely to be an agreement to reduce emissions by a 43 % at least in 2005 by 2030. .
However, he said 43% was effectively blocked by international agreements before talks began, so the debate over the figure was nothing more than symbolic.
Labour’s campaign promise to reach an 82% renewable energy target by 2030 was far more important, he said, but was not even part of the discussion.
Brown also described the 43 percent number as “very symbolic.”
“We could probably get to that number while doing business as usual,” he said.
Brown emphasized that he was no longer the leader of the Greens and that he was not intervening in the negotiation process.
“They are [Bandt’s Greens] showing that they want a better deal and are willing to work for it,” Brown said. “Negotiations are ongoing and it’s early days.
“There are still three years left in this term, and I have no doubt that there are good things to come from the efforts of the Greens and Teals. [independents].”
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Brown reserved his criticism of Albanese, saying he was surprised and disappointed that the prime minister had argued so strongly for continuing to export fossil fuels.
These were “Morrison-era” views and unworthy of a modern prime minister, he said.
“We’re sharing the atmosphere and climate change with the entire planet and it’s our coal and gas that’s being burned,” Brown said.
Albanese told ABC TV’s 7.30 program this week that if Australia stopped its exports, other countries would take over the trade.
“If Australia said today we’re not going to export any more coal, what you’d see is a lot of jobs lost, you’d see a significant loss to our economy, significantly less tax revenue for education, health and other services, and that coal would not lead to a reduction in global emissions,” Albanese said on Tuesday.
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“What you would see is a replacement by coal from other countries that is likely to produce more emissions because of the quality of our product.”
However, in what was seen as an olive branch for the Greens, Labor agreed this week to insert an amendment into the climate change bill that would make it harder for key government agencies to spend public money on projects of coal and gas.
Brown was the first leader of the Australian Greens in the federal parliament since 2005. Milne was his deputy from 2008 until he succeeded him as leader in 2012.
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