Climate change rallies draw big crowds

About 6000 people attended a march that started on the front lawns of Parliament House in Canberra on Sunday.

Similar rallies have been held in other Australian capital cities and countries around the world over recent days to spread a united message about climate change, leading into the Paris summit that runs from November 30 to December 11.

Various placards and banners were displayed at the Canberra rally including those supporting renewable energy and the need to address climate change, in view of future farming and food production demands.

Labor and the Greens had a strong presence amongst the large crowd but there was next to no branding visibility or presence, for the Liberals and National Party.

Victorian rally organisers estimated about 60,000 people attended the Melbourne event and about 45,000 marched in Sydney with smaller numbers turning-up in Perth and Brisbane.

At the Sydney rally, Deputy Opposition leader Tanya Plibersek said it was about “urging the government to do more when it comes to stopping dangerous climate change”.

“Labor's position and the governments’ could not be more different now,” she said of her party’s policy announcement last week.

“We (Labor) have made very clear that all of our actions will be based on Australian doing its fair share in keeping global warming to less than 2 degrees.

“That means a 50 per cent renewable energy target that means net zero emissions by 2050 and a process of consultation taking a target of 45 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 into our consultation process.

“In contrast, our government is the only government internationally that's actually doing less when it comes to fighting climate change in recent years.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten are both attending the Paris conference.

But Ms Plibersek said people might be relieved Mr Turnbull is attending the forum of global leaders instead of former Coalition leader Tony Abbott.

But she stressed none of the party’s climate change policies have “actually changed”.

“Malcolm Turnbull is going to Paris with Tony Abbott's policies - he stopped on the way to lecture other leaders about them doing more, when we're actually doing less,” she said.

Mr Shorten said under the Liberal party’s ‘Direct Action’ policy taxpayers, not polluters, paid to reduce emissions at a significant cost to the budget.

“Australians expect their leaders to take climate change seriously and rely on the best science when developing their policies, including limiting global warming to well below two degrees Celsius on pre-industrial levels,” he said.

“That’s what Labor has done in developing our pledge to take a policy to the next election of net zero pollution by 2050.

“Australians know the longer we delay action on climate change, the more severe the cost.”

But last week the National Farmers’ Federation said the ALP’s proposed target of 45pc emissions reduction by 2030 was “unrealistic” and would hinder agricultural competitiveness and economic growth.

NFF president Brent Finlay said the agricultural sector recognised the need to reduce emissions intensity and was actively taking steps across a range of commodities to play its part in the reduction task.

He said farmers continued to engage in a range of emissions reduction activities but any reduction commitments must be realised by workable government policies that supported the economy’s continued growth while lowering emissions intensity over time.

“The policy settings required to achieve such overly ambitious targets proposed by Labor would likely undermine the competitiveness of our trade-exposed economy,” he said.

“Reaching a 45pc reduction in 2030 is unrealistic policy and hinders efforts to feed and clothe a growing world.

“We encourage policies that support voluntary carbon markets.

“This would allow for carbon reduction without weakening the agricultural sector’s competitiveness.”

Mr Finlay said many farmers had successfully secured contracts under the government’s Emissions Reduction Fund, facilitating new management practices to reduce greenhouse emissions.

He said examples included the uptake of renewable energy sources and long-term farm carbon sequestration activities.

“It is therefore imperative that industry is comprehensively involved in the development of any future policy and government efforts, to help encourage increased farmer participation in emissions reduction programs,” he said.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale said Labor’s climate targets left the Turnbull Government “isolated” but raised serious questions about Labor’s ability to deliver on its targets without a plan to transition away from coal.

Senator Di Natale said transitioning away from coal use was required to safeguard the economy and achieve dramatic pollution cuts “but neither of the big parties are willing to show leadership”.

“Labor has said their targets are a draft for discussion, but you can’t negotiate on science that demands strong action now,” he said.