As the IMF warns that even a $111 carbon price in Australia will be insufficient to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, Greens’ climate and energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt, announced that the Greens will introduce legislation on Monday to make the mining, burning and exporting of thermal coal by corporations and their executives (but not workers) a crime after 2030. 
 
“The climate emergency is so severe that a carbon price alone will no longer fix the problem,” said Mr Bandt.
 

The Australian public will never forgive the Labor Party if it abandons any commitment to taking genuine action on the climate crisis as Joel Fitzgibbon is now arguing, said Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale.

Greens Co-Deputy Leader Larissa Waters and Queensland Greens Member for Maiwar Michael Berkman have called on the Queensland Government to rule out a delayed royalty plan for Adani after the deadline for an agreement passed.

Greens Member for Maiwar Michael Berkman said: 
“This special deal for a coal billionaire is an immoral and stupid distraction. 

“Every day that Labor aren’t working on a detailed, well-funded transition plan for coal workers and coal towns is a day wasted. 

Australian Greens Peace and Disarmament spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John has reiterated his calls to fundamentally restructure our defence force, after a speech prepared for ADF Chief Angus Campbell - released under FOI - warned climate change could stretch our capacity and had the potential to "exacerbate conflict".

Senator Steele-John agreed climate change was the biggest threat in our region and said preparing our defence force for the impacts - food and water shortages, increasing natural disasters and mass displacement of people - must be an absolute priority.

Greens climate change spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, has this morning introduced a private members bill which will amend the Fair Work Act to protect workers who strike for climate action, declaring that any boss who sacks anyone for striking this Friday 20 September as part of the Global Climate Strike is ‘a bum’. 
 

Federal Members of the crossbench in the House of Representatives will join with John Hewson AM, former Liberal leader, to call on the Parliament to declare a climate emergency, with MPs and Senators exercising a free vote so that the motion can pass. 
 

Greens climate change and energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, today said that the latest Climate of the Nation report released by The Australia Institute reaffirmed that most Australians are concerned about how the climate crisis will exacerbate extreme weather events and want to see a phase out of coal to tackle the climate emergency. 
 
“The government has no mandate for coal,” said Mr Bandt.
 
“Nearly eight out of ten Australians want a plan to phase out coal power, something only the Greens are advocating.
 

Greens climate change spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, has today responded to the latest Australian Season Bushfire Outlook highlighting above normal fire potential for regions across the country, warning that Scott Morrison bears some responsibility for the upcoming bushfire season.
 
“Scott Morrison has done everything in his power to make global warming worse and now we’re seeing the consequences of a heated planet,” said Mr Bandt.
 
“We’ve just been warned that record drought has delivered the driest ever January to July for the southern half of Australia.
 

Following Energy Minister Angus Taylor’s announcement of a taskforce to consider propping up the Liddell coal-fired power station, Greens climate change and energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, has vowed the Greens will block any public money being used to keep the coal-fired power station open longer. The station is scheduled for closure in 2022/23, but Minister Taylor this morning refused to rule out using public money to support Liddell and keep it open longer.
 
“The coal-loving bullies in the government are slowing down the transition to renewables,” said Mr Bandt.

Australian Greens climate change and energy spokesperson, Adam Bandt, responded today to the push from Federal Energy Minister, Angus Taylor, for Victoria to lift its onshore gas moratorium, saying more gas won’t fix Australia’s energy problems and will make climate change worse.
 
“While renewables are pulling electricity costs down, gas is driving costs up,”  said Mr Bandt.
 
“Lifting the fracking ban in Victoria will just see more gas sold offshore to the highest bidder while making global warming worse.”