Nature Conservation Council: NSW net-zero plan a good start, but much more needed, sooner

The Nature Conservation Council welcomes the NSW Government ‘Net-Zero Plan’ as a good step, but warns that ambition must lift to limit the climate crisis.

“This plan shows that by upgrading to clean technology like wind and solar, NSW can create jobs, save money, and help the environment at the same time” said NCC Chief Executive Chris Gambian.

“Climate action is about facing up to a massive global crisis and finding a pathway through that helps modernise and strengthen our economy”

“While the Morrison government is absent on climate action, thank goodness their Coalition colleagues in NSW are willing to step up to the challenge of cutting climate pollution whilst growing the economy.”

“But this plan’s 35% reduction in climate pollution won’t get us to where we need to be. 

“At this rate, it’ll be 2099 before NSW reaches zero emissions,”

“If all countries were this slow, we’ll well and truly cook the planet. Droughts will be longer and hotter, bushfire seasons longer and more extreme, sea levels higher and harder to mitigate”

“The truth is the NSW plan only takes us halfway to where we need to be to ensure Australia meets its Paris commitments.”

“We have skin in the game too: the NSW bushfire season has proved yet again that we are on the front line of climate change impacts and scientists warn that if we don’t immediately cut climate pollution, future fire seasons will only get worse.”

“In Victoria an independent expert panel recently found that a 67% emissions reduction by 2030 is required for an even chance of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees - one of the goals of the Paris Agreement.” [1]

“In NSW we could speed up our planned exit from domestic coal fired power stations which would dramatically reduce carbon emissions whilst creating new jobs and removing harmful toxins from the air around Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Valley.”

“And we could plug the hole in the bucket by reducing the land clearing rates that have exploded in recent years”

[1] Interim Emissions Reduction Targets for Victoria (2021-2030), Independent Expert Panel (March 2019) Box ES2, page 12, available at: https://go.aws/38LY0CZ