The Greens say today’s report that more than 98% of the Great Barrier Reef’s coral reefs have suffered bleaching is a damning indictment of the Morrison Government’s climate inaction and exposes the sickening cynicism of its campaign to keep the Reef off UNESCO’s “in danger” list earlier this year.

Greens deputy leader and Queensland Senator Larissa Waters said:

“Climate change and pollution have already killed off half of the Great Barrier Reef’s coral cover, endangering this precious natural asset and the 60,000 jobs that rely on it.

Scott Morrison has departed Glasgow after committing Australia to the international consortium of climate sabotage alongside Russia and Saudi Arabia.

​​In a major announcement, more than 40 countries have agreed to phase out coal-fired power, but Australia has refused to sign on, with Liberal and Labor instead wanting more coal and gas.

As global momentum grows to match commitments with the goals of the Paris agreement, Australia is running a protection racket for coal and gas through accounting tricks, “non binding targets”, interference and delay tactics.

The Greens have slammed the PM’s refusal to sign the EU and US global methane pledge, after it was announced this morning that over 100 countries have now become signatories.

It is appalling that Labor is also refusing to back the pledge.

The pledge commits to reducing global methane emissions by 30% on 2020 levels by 2030 and would significantly reduce warming.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young commenting from COP26 in Glasgow this morning local time: 

“Mr Morrison has had a disaster of a world trip - from Rome to Glasgow, he has been embarrassed and called out for his lack of trustworthiness and lack of commitment.

“Here in Glasgow Scott Morrison’s word is mud. Rather than being a respected world leader, the Prime Minister is will leave here with a bad reputation for being a blocker, a liar and sop to the fossil fuel industry.

Scott Morrison has been caught lying in his speech to world leaders at Glasgow, deliberately misrepresenting Australia’s climate targets in his major official engagement at the climate summit. 

Australian Greens International Development spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has responded to Scott Morrison’s commitment to an additional $500 million in climate finance through to 2025.

Senator Faruqi said:

“This is a disappointing, measly commitment. Australia’s total commitment falls far short of the bare minimum $3 billion to 2025 that was called for by aid organisations ahead of Glasgow.

“Morrison is offering up scraps and hoping no one notices. But the reality is that Australia is again failing to pull its weight.

Fresh from helping derail G20 climate commitments, Scott Morrison is now gearing up to be a climate action wrecker at Glasgow.

The Prime Minister's world leader summit speech today and other interventions at the global climate summit, such as spruiking gas, have Australia promoting coal and gas at Glasgow while the rest of the world is trying to phase it out.

Alongside Russia and Saudi Arabia, Australia is continuing to play the role of global climate spoiler, undermining 2030 action to keep the world under 1.5 degrees of heating.

Following the release of Australia’s Nationally Determined Contribution, Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP has joined the chorus of international criticism of Australia’s plan.

The Nationally Determined Contribution is the official governmental plan that is lodged with the UN and that Scott Morrison will be taking to Glasgow, presented to 197 other states supposedly showing Australia’s pathway to Net Zero.

The Australian Greens have urged the Morrison-Joyce Government to join the Global Methane Pledge, saying the government’s finger pointing about cattle was hiding the real problem: coal and gas. 

The Pledge urges nations to reduce methane emissions by 30% by at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030, similar to the CFC pledge that saved the Ozone Layer. 

With Scott Morrison’s fraudulent plan setting us up for climate failure, Greens Leader Adam Bandt has outlined the essential components of a Net Zero strategy that will reduce emissions, protect regional communities, and meet an emissions reduction strategy consistent with the science, following a UN Emissions Gap Report showing that the gap between submitted emissions reduction targets and the required action is on track for a catastrophic 2.7 degrees of warming.