Climate vs Energy - an underrated conflict
The Climate Act is law and Australia can now start playing catch up in the race to zero. We have a long way to go! The crossbench is pushing to go faster and harder. This is revealing a critical divide, not just in our politics but also in the wider community of interests that our parliament represents - the divide between climate and energy.
We see this in the urgings of the crossbench for Labor to go harder on emissions reduction and to ban new fossil fuel developments in line with UN and IEA recommendations. Labor's reluctance is baffling to many but there is a simple explanation - energy policy trumps climate policy, nearly every time.
Demand for energy in the present is more compelling to most than the future of our climate. Our insatiable need for energy also overrides our concerns for environment and for our health. This issue is further explored in Climate and Energy - Competing policies in CCL's Policy Playbook.
It would seem that the Minister for Climate Change and Energy has a conflict of interest built in to his portfolio. In the current political climate and global energy situation, energy will almost always win against climate. And energy policies will continue to undermine and negate climate and environment policies. And as long as fossil fuel subsidies continue, climate policy will continue to be in a losing position.
The Minister for Environment is also in a difficult situation - she has to consider applications for fossil fuel developments on the basis of their environmental impact on the local environment, which does not necessarily include the longer term impact of climate change.
The Minister of Health will be well aware that fossil fuel pollution is damaging the health of many and adding strain and cost to the health system.
The cabinet seems to be set up against the climate. Environment, health and climate ministers are to some extent up against the rest - energy, resources, industry, finance have little or no short term interest in addressing climate while they may well recognise the longer term need. And we have a minister who is making decisions for both sides of the issue. The cabinet chair, the prime minister is leaning towards the energy.
This climate vs energy divide must be bridged. A climate dividend policy would meet the needs of most of these ministries. And it would help unite the cabinet behind a policy that gets us well on track towards zero emissions without challenging the policy interests of many ministries.
