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qpsu climate heroes
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Climate Heroes - where to from here

Dear Climate Heroes

Hope you enjoyed the Christmas mission pack - our last for 2008. It has been a big couple of weeks for Australia's climate future, and we have some good and not so good news to report.

2008 has been an exciting year, and together we've made a real difference. But we all know there is still so much more to do to get Australia on track on climate change.

First, the bad news

As you may have seen, last week the Federal Government announced a very modest carbon pollution target of just a 5% reduction by 2020, with a possible 15% reduction as part of a global deal. This is well below the 25-40% reduction that the IPCC scientists say is necessary for wealthy countries, and the 30% reduction adopted in the QPSU climate policy.

Our hopes had been high for a better announcement.

As ACTU President Sharan Burrow said:
"The Government must keep open the option of a more ambitious target by 2020 and should lead robust international negotiations. We need to keep global warming at less than two degrees to save national icons like the Murray-Darling Basin and the tens of thousands of jobs they support."

Professor Ross Garnaut - the Government's #1 climate change advisor, has also criticised the Government, saying:
"The white paper rules out Australia contributing to a global effort to achieve ambitious mitigation targets before 2020....The Government should keep the 25 per cent option on the table."

He also criticised the proposal to give billions of dollars worth of free permits to coal fired power stations, saying
"There is no public policy justification for the $3.9 billion in unconditional payments to generators"

For the full article see http://bit.ly/12G7i.

So what next?

2009 will be a huge year for climate protection.

It is important that we all realise that the Government's proposed targets are only one step along the decision making process. The proposed targets and trading scheme will be hotly debated in Parliament. Draft legislation that is expected to be released early in the New Year.

Then there will be a process of Parliamentary enquiries and debate leading to a Parliamentary decision, probably in May, June or July.

Then, Australia will need to be participating in the last 6 months of the negotiations leading up to the crucial United Nations meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009, where the next global treaty on climate change is set to be agreed. Australia will once again have to put our proposed targets on the table at these negotiations.

So you can see, we are only one step into an important 12 month campaign.

And finally, the good news

There's also much to celebrate in 2008 - Climate Heroes helped convince the Government to drop its controversial solar means test. A new "solar credits" scheme will be introduced with no means test. It will recognise the extra energy that solar panels in Queensland produce - making solar a great option for 2009.

And there is great hope that Australia will follow the lead of the new Obama Administration - with the President-elect making strong statements on US leadership on climate change and ambitious programs to created millions of new green collar jobs.

So, have a great Christmas and New Year break, and we will be in touch again in 2009!

Best wishes, the Climate Heroes' team and our friends at ACF.