The impacts of a changing climate are well upon us, forcing societies and natural ecosystems to transform the way they function. At the current rate of 10 billion tonnes of global emissions each year, we will exceed the remaining carbon budget by 2030.
The science demands that the ACT should aim for net-zero emissions by 2030 regardless of how politically uncomfortable this might appear. This would bring the ACT in line with other leading cities, such as Bristol, Glasgow and Copenhagen.
TAKE ACTION
Ask your local candidates the questions below:
- At community election forums
- At shopping centre stalls
- On their social media
- During radio talkback
- By email
Email your local candidates
Andrew Barr, ALP
barr@act.gov.au
Alistair Coe, Liberals
alistair@alistaircoe.com.au
Shane Rattenbury, ACT Greens
rattenbury@act.gov.au
Mick Gentleman, ALP
mick.gentleman@actlabor.org.au
Elizabeth Lee, Liberals
lee@parliament.act.gov.au
| Priority Asks | What do we know? | Questions to ask candidates | |
| 1 | Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, with timelines for phasing out gas and achieving zero net emissions from transport by 2030. | The ACT has a target to reach zero emissions by 2045. Climate science is telling us that countries like Australia, and cities like Canberra, need to make deeper and faster cuts to have a chance of stabilising the global climate, and keeping temperature increases below 2 degrees. | Would your party support deeper and earlier climate emission targets, focusing on cutting transport emissions and phasing out gas in buildings? |
| 2 | Immediately stop all new gas connections. | We already know that burning gas in the ACT contributes to 22 percent of the ACT’s emissions, and that the ACT has an objective of phasing out gas. Yet over the next 5 years, Evoenergy wants to spend $35m of gas consumers’ money on new gas connections. | Do you support stopping all new connections to the gas network, to avoid more households having to make expensive changes in the future to get off gas? |
| 3 | Stop Government procurement contracts with companies that support fossil fuel developments. | The ACT has a target of net-zero emissions by 2045, but the Government’s Responsible Investment Policy does not explicitly exclude investing in fossil fuel or carbon-intensive companies in the oil, gas, petroleum, mining and energy industries. | Will you commit to screening companies during procurement processes to make sure they do not have direct links with fossil fuel? |
Find other campaign action sheets
Read our election priorities for a safe climate
Read our 2020 Election priorities
Come to our election forum to discuss climate action with the candidates
