While COP26 is still clearly visible in its rear view mirror, the Morrison Government has already “set fire” to the agreement it made at the conference says the Climate Council.
On Friday, the Morrison Government released the first fullNational Gas Infrastructure Plan(NGIP) and the Future Gas Infrastructure Investment Framework, which it says will help secure Australia’s gas supplies over the next 20 years.
“The Morrison Government is serious about gas and acknowledges the important role it plays supporting jobs, food-production, manufacturing, industry, exports and energy supply,”saidMinister for Industry, Energy andEmissions Reduction, Angus Taylor.
What it doesn’t appear to be so serious about is the last bit in Minister Taylor’s title – and that is very serious.
Net Zero By 2050 Commitment “Designed To Mislead”
Climate Council Head of Research Dr. Simon Bradshaw said doubling down on gas will further negatively impact Australia’s international reputation on emissions and increasingly expose communities to the impacts of climate change.
“What part of gas is a polluting fossil fuel does this government not understand? This plan is a disaster. The science is very clear: to avoid a climate catastrophe, fossil fuels must stay in the ground.”
Climate Councillor Greg Bournesaid if the world is to limit temperature increases to below the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees, there can be no new coal, oil or gas fields.
“It is abundantly clear that the Morrison government’s net zero by 2050 commitment was designed to mislead and always included expansion of gas.”
The Climate Council wasn’t alone in its scathing assessment of the announcement – among the commentary:
Greenpeace: “Reckless And Dishonest”
Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO David Ritterstated:
“This is a reckless and dishonest plan to lock Australia into a disastrous future. It is a plan to benefit gas corporations at the expense of the health and safety of Australian people, our land and water supplies and the climate.”
Mr. Ritter said claims of a looming shortfall of gas were lies, and given the shift to renewable energy globally the Morrison Government has demonstrated it’s not only a climate wrecker, but also economically illiterate.
Lock The Gate: “Corporate Welfare”
The Plan notes “opportunities” remain for state and territory governments to help unlock further supplies of gas given moratoria and other regulatory restrictions on unconventional gas development (e.g., fracking coal seam gas) in some jurisdictions.
“As well as draining groundwater, degrading landscapes, and contributing to climate change, the unconventional gas industry is also a notoriously low employer,”saidLock the Gate Alliance National Coordinator Carmel Flint. “Gas doesn’t create new jobs – it just takes them from existing industries that are pushed out.”
Hydrogen Hype Motivation
The Morrison Government jumped on thehydrogenbandwagon a while back – and its motivations are made increasingly clear in the Plan (page 4 – bolding mine).
“In the future, abundant fuel sources for hydrogen production, including renewables,coal and natural gas, along with promising locations for CCS technology, make Australia well placed to benefit from the global hydrogen economy.”
Let’s say hydrogen really takes off – why would the world want Australia’s filthy hydrogen when it can be produced more cleanly with renewables energy? As for the siren song of Carbon Capture and Storage(CCS) technology, well…
