Hundreds of pieces of kids’ art have been put on display at Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s office this morning, accompanied by a letter signed by more than 4,300 Australian parents calling on the government to protect kids from worsening climate change.
Kids and their parents installed the artwork of children from across Australia in a street gallery outside the electorate office in Sydney along with a novelty oversized Christmas present. They wished the Environment Minister a Merry Christmas and asked her to protect children across the country from climate harm by refusing new fossil fuel projects.
With the recent floods, and the 2019-20 black summer, parents are increasingly worried about the climate their kids are going to inherit, Australian Parents for Climate Action CEO Nic Seton said.
“New fossil fuel projects threaten Australia’s way of life, regardless of whether their coal and gas are burnt here or overseas. We’re calling on Minister Plibersek to acknowledge the duty of care the government has for our children and future generations, and agree to stop approving new fossil fuel projects,” Mr Seton said.
In an interview, today with Australian Parents for Climate Action CEO Nic Seton said they still waiting for lots more details on how it will work in practice and what money is available to make it strong.
On a landmark change to Australia’s environmental laws, the federal government has announced a plan to create an independent watchdog to oversee compliance and enforcement as well as a national standard to protect endangered plant and animal species.
The Greens welcome this long-awaited response to the biggest review of Australia's environment laws in a decade. The Albanese Government is moving in the right direction.
However, the government lacks any sense of urgency to halt and reverse the unsustainable environmental trajectory Professor Samuel described in his report.
Australian Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said: “ We need immediate action, action must include climate action and stopping the destruction of native forests and habitat. Sadly, this package does not deliver on these points, but the Greens are willing to work with the government to fix it”.
"The Greens will not be rubber stamping this legislative reform and will be pushing the Albanese Government to go harder and faster to protect our environment”, she said.
Hanson-Young said there is nothing in this package to save an iconic koala or to protect the native forests and there is very little to address the impact of the climate crisis on the environment at all.
Can these environmental laws protect children across the country from climate harm by refusing new fossil fuel projects?