Australia sidelined as major players agree to cut pollution - Greens
The Australian Greens are congratulating the US and China on their agreement to act on global warming and say it's not too late for Australia to get on board.
"This should be a massive wake-up call to Tony Abbott. His continued climate denial and his destruction of the environment is reckless," said Greens Leader Christine Milne.
"Tony Abbott is so busy unwinding Australia's climate policies that he failed to notice the global economy is changing around him. He is risking billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs.
"Tony Abbott is engaging in intergenerational theft while the rest of the world moves to protect future generations and the planet.
"Until the Abbott government took control, Australia was a world leader in climate policy with an emissions trading scheme that was considered template legislation for other nations.
"Tony Abbott is trashing our international reputation, our economic opportunities, our health, our safety and our precious natural environment," said Senator Milne.
"Enough is enough. If Tony Abbott and Clive Palmer were waiting for the world to act, well, here it is. Australia cannot afford the Abbott government's denial of global warming science or his protection racket for the big end of town.
"Polluters must pay for their pollution. Coal must be left in the ground. Fossil fuel subsidies must end. Australia could be a leader and thrive in the new clean economy, but not as long as Tony Abbott anchors us in the past."
