The legal clause which could allow Adani to sue Australia,
Opposition leader Bill Shorten has stated again that a future Labor government should not cancel the Adani mine licence for environmental reasons because of “sovereign risk”.
All major banks and financial institutions have refused to fund the Adani project because of both financial and environmental risks, and there is a strong grassroots movement which has moved public opinion and resulted in Labour opposing any use of federal funds to support the project.
So the Adani project itself is regarded by investors as very risky. As prominent economist Saul Eslake has argued, its demise is unlikely to result in a sudden fall of more general investor confidence in Australia, which is what “sovereign risk” implies.
There is a bigger risk for a future government which might choose to cancel the licence. Adani could sue the Australian government for millions of dollars through the process known as Investor-State Disputes Settlement (ISDS), using the now terminated Australia-India Bilateral Investment Treaty.
ISDS gives giant global companies like Adani special legal rights that are not available to local companies to claim millions in compensation if they can argue that a law or policy has reduced the value of their investment, known as “indirect expropriation” and/or if they can claim that they were not properly consulted about the change in the law or policy.
The cases are heard by international tribunals that have been criticised by legal experts such as former High Court Chief Justice Robert French because they have no independent judges, no precedents and no appeals. There are now over 900 known cases and many are against health, environment, indigenous rights or other public interest regulation.
Even when governments win, they lose, because it takes years and millions of dollars to defend ISDS cases. The US Philip Morris tobacco company lost its claim for compensation for Australia’s 2012 plain packaging legislation in the Australian High Court. The company could not sue under the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement because the Howard government had not agreed to ISDS in that agreement. The company moved some assets to Hong Kong and used ISDS in a Hong Kong-Australia investment agreement to sue the Australian government. It took over four years for the tribunal to decide that Philip Morris was not a Hong Kong company. It took an FOI case to reveal that it cost the government $38m of taxpayer dollars in legal fees to defend the case.
The Australia-India treaty was terminated by India on March 23, 2017 but it has an extraordinary grandfather clause that means its provisions apply to investments made before that date for another 15 years. India, South Africa and a number of other countries have terminated all such investment treaties because of the risks and costs to governments from unfair tribunal decisions. Australia’s Productivity Commission has condemned ISDS for the same reasons, as did the previous Rudd-Gillard Labor government.
The European Court of Justice found recently that ISDS limits national sovereignty and that any trade agreement containing ISDS could not be negotiated by the European Commission, but had to be approved by each EU national parliament. Fearing rejection of ISDS, the EU has ceased including ISDS in its recent trade deals, including the one currently being negotiated with Australia
Current Labor policy opposes ISDS in trade and investment agreements because it “undermines fair competition, judicial independence and the Australian people’s sovereign right to legislate and implement policies in their interests through democratic processes”.
The cancellation of the Australia-India investment agreement in March 2017 means that Adani cannot claim compensation for investments made after that date. But under the 15-year grandfather clause, Adani could seek compensation for what it has claimed is the $3bn of investment made before March 2017 in preliminary costs including the Abbot Point port lease to export the coal.
Even the threat of an ISDS case can deter governments from taking action in the public interest. The New Zealand government deferred its plain packaging legislation for over four years until the Philip Morris ISDS case was over. Now it seems that Labor could be deterred from developing a policy against the Adani project because of the threat of ISDS.
This is yet another example of why Labor should implement its policy against including ISDS in all trade agreements, and remove it from current agreements like the TPP-11. Global corporations should not have special legal rights to undermine the policies of democratically elected governments. It would be a travesty of democracy if a government elected on the basis of majority support for regulation of carbon emissions and other action against climate change faced challenges from global companies aiming to frustrate their implementation.
• Dr Patricia Ranald is convener of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network and a research fellow at the University of Sydney
Fact-checking Liberals’ claim that Australia’s carbon emissions are coming down
Are carbon emissions coming down in Australia? RMIT ABC Fact Check, 17 Dec1,
Her comment came a few days before a major UN climate summit, COP24, held in Katowice, Poland.
Other panellists on Q&A contradicted Ms Vanstone, saying emissions were rising. This prompted many viewers of the program to call on RMIT ABC Fact Check to investigate Ms Vanstone’s claim.
The verdict
Ms Vanstone’s claim is misleading.
Latest federal government figures suggest that although greenhouse gas emissions have fallen over the past 10 years, emissions started trending upwards again about four years ago.
The upturn, since 2014, has coincided with the Abbott government’s removal of the carbon tax.
Also, while emissions from electricity production have been falling, the decrease has been outweighed over the past four years by rising emissions in other sectors of the economy, such as transport, where emissions are associated with increased LNG production for export……..
What’s going on with total emissions?
Over the year to June 2018, Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions rose in each quarter, according to the report. Continue reading
Adani aims to quash traditional owner challengers, tells court they’re ‘impecunious’
The mining company applied for a court order to secure potential legal costs if it wins against Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) representatives, who are seeking to overturn a crucial mine site land deal
……Lawyer Col Hardie for the W&J challengers told an earlier Federal Court hearing that legal bills were paid by the W&J traditional owners corporation through fundraising appeals to the public…….
In August, Federal Court judge John Reeves upheld Adani’s Indigenous land Use Agreement (ILUA) with the W&J, saying none of the grounds for challenging it had “any merit”.
Five W&J representatives who unsuccessfully argued it was a “sham” agreement — Delia Kemppi, Lester Barnard, Linda Bobongie, Adrian Burragubba and Lyndell Turbane — are appealing that ruling before the full bench of the Federal Court.
The court will hear Adani’s bid to make its opponents pay security on 18 December.
Last month, Adani announced it would “self-finance” the controversial project and was ready to begin building and operating a scaled-down mine.
But the company needs the ILUA to have the Carmichael mine site title converted to freehold and to carry out major works…….
Queensland Mines Minister Anthony Lynham said in September that Adani “needs to prove they can reach financial close [certainty] before we finalise processes for this project”.
He also said the Government recognised the rights of traditional owners to legally contest the ILUA.
The W&J mine opponents vowed to take their fight to the High Court.
Their solicitor Mr Hardie told the ABC: “My view is that Adani desperately want to have the appeal determined before there’s a change in Federal Government”…….https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-14/adani-aim-quash-traditional-owner-challengers-over-money/10616732?fbclid=IwAR1v3RuVPidk994vhBJiqnRUSgRXKE6tw2Cgnsge7c7uHtzEzuRQQBt8RIM
Australian government’s hypocritical performance at UN Climate Summit
‘New energy future’: Minister touts Australia at climate summit, Brisbane Times, By Peter Hannam,13 December 2018 — Australia is moving “towards a new energy future”, powered by unprecedented investments in renewable energy, Environment Minister Melissa Price has told a summit in Poland even as the country earned a “fossil of the day award for its poor climate policies.
In a speech on Wednesday at the COP24 climate talks in Katowice, Ms Price said Australia was “committed to the Paris Agreement” and the development of a “robust rulebook” to implement the global pact agreed in 2015…….
Richie Merzian, a climate researcher with The Australia Institute, said Minister Price’s speech “relied almost entirely on policies her government tried to kill-off or water down”.
He also criticised the climate finance pledge, saying Prime Minister Scott Morrison “had trashed and cut support for UN’s key climate finance body, the Green Climate Fund”.
‘Fossil of the Day’
The network also raised the issue, first reported by the Herald, that Australia had “remained silent” about whether it planned to use any surplus from the Kyoto Protocol period – possibly 400 million tonnes worth – to count against its Paris target.
Ms Price’s Labor counterpart, Mark Butler, has also continued to not rule out the use of any Kyoto credits for its post-2020 targets.
“It’s not clear whether the so-called rulebook for the Paris Agreement will allow a carryover,” Mr Butler told Radio National on Thursday.
“If it does, we would have to consider any conditions about that,” he said, adding, “my bias is to steer very clear of cop-outs and accounting tricks when it comes to climate change policies.”
Greens climate spokesman Adam Bandt said: “It is disappointing that Mark Butler has left the door open to cooking the books to meet their Paris commitment. The analysis is clear that up to a quarter of Labor’s target could be met by fake Kyoto credits if they follow the Coalition and pull the same dodgy accounting tricks.” https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/climate-change/new-energy-future-minister-touts-australia-at-climate-summit-20181213-p50m3f.html
Australia’s Liberal National govt will use tax-payer funds to promote new and existing coal mines
Coalition signals it will provide taxpayer support for new and existing coal plants. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/13/coalition-signals-it-will-provide-taxpayer-support-for-new-and-existing-coal-plants Katharine Murphy Political editor@murpharoo 13 Dec 2018
Morrison government specifies generation projects will need to be coal, gas, batteries or pumped hydro to be eligible for underwriting The Morrison government has sent a clear signal that it is prepared to provide taxpayer support for both new and existing coal plants, opening registrations of interest in its controversial new power generation underwriting program.
With the government accelerating to cover off major announcements before the Christmas break, the energy minister, Angus Taylor, will on Thursday use an event at a hydro power station in Tasmania to outline the terms of the new program and urge proponents to get their bids in over the summer break – before 23 January.
As well as finalising the criteria for the underwriting program, and calling for expressions of interest, the government is also expected to outline its response to the Ruddock review into religious freedom, and unveil its decision on Australian diplomatic facilities in Israel, before the end of the week.
Taylor will confirm on Thursday that the underwriting program – which has been criticised by business groupsand energy stakeholders – will potentially fund generation projects including new builds and brownfield projects, like upgrades or life extensions of existing coal generators.
Taxpayer support will be made available to projects through a range of financing options such as underwriting floor prices, underwriting cap prices, grants and loans – although the finalised program guidelines makes it clear that the amount of support available under each phase of the program, and the extent of taxpayer liability, will be capped.
The government has not published an upper limit on the size of eligible projects but the minimum eligible project size will be 30MW
The criteria makes it clear that the program is technology neutral but it also specifies that generation projects will need to be coal, gas, batteries or pumped hydro to be eligible for the government underwriting.
The document calling for expressions of interest does not supply any specific guidance on the emissions intensity of the projects. It says only that projects delivering an electricity product at a lower emissions intensity “will be deemed higher merit.”
It also makes clear the program will also be open to foreign investors in the event the proposal can clear Foreign Investment Review Board processes.
As to timing, the document suggests phase one is anticipated to commence in the first quarter of 2019 – which puts some of the decision making pre-election in the event the government goes to the polls in April.
Labor and the Greens are opposed to any taxpayer support for coal projects, and will continue efforts once parliament resumes next year to try and frustrate the Coalition’s program, potentially by attempting to amend the government’s “big stick” divestiture bill, which stalled in the final sitting week, to include a prohibition on power companies receiving commonwealth support.
As well as the underwriting, Taylor has also flagged the possible indemnification of projects from the future risk of a carbon price.
There is speculation around the energy sector that the government underwriting proposal could facilitate an extension of the Vales Point power station near Lake Macquarie in New South Wales. It is owned by Trevor St Baker, who was vocal during a stakeholder session last month convened to discuss the underwriting program.
Ahead of Thursday’s announcement, Taylor said: “This program will drive down electricity prices for householders by increasing competition and increasing supply in the market.”
He said the objective was to produce a pipeline of projects “that will allow us to bring targeted generation into the system in the right place at the right time”.
Scott Morrison and the Business Council are pushing coal – but on what evidence?
Guardian, 14 Dec 18 Despite plummeting costs of renewables the government and the BCA insist that emissions reduction would be ‘economy wrecking’
Fresh from losing the economic fight about company tax cuts, the Coalition government is doubling down on an economic fight about renewable energy. And yet again, as they march into battle they have the Business Council of Australia as their key source of economic and political advice. What could go wrong?
The cost of renewable energy has fallen dramatically in the past 10 years and will continue to fall for years to come. By some accounts, new renewables with storage are already cheaper than coal fired power stations. Some argue that they aren’t quite there yet. But no one argues that in 30 years’ time a new coal-fired power station that has to buy coal will be able to compete with a solar farm that gets its sunshine for free.
Betting on the future cost of renewables is like catching a falling knife, but if there is one thing that unites the Coalition and the BCA it’s that they aren’t averse to self-inflicted wounds. At precisely the time when the costs of renewables and storage are plummeting and the world is meeting in Poland to discuss reductions in fossil fuel use, the Liberal government and the peak body for the biggest businesses in Australia are united in arguing that a 45% emissions reduction target by 2030 would be – in the words of BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott – “economy wrecking”.
As with the failed campaign for company tax cuts, the nation’s prime minister is getting his talking points from the nation’s biggest lobbyists. In parliament last week Scott Morrison declared “a 45% target is economy wrecking”, adding to a scare-campaign designed to convince the Australian public that they have to choose between the environment they want for their kids and the jobs they want for them. It is sickening.
Not even the BCA’s own members believe the rhetoric of their peak body. Both Commonwealth Bank and Citi have renewable energy targets of 100% – Citi by 2020. Other BCA members like the CSIRO have put out a transition road map which includes 90% electricity generation from solar PV and wind by 2050 while maintaining reliability in the grid…………https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/13/scott-morrison-and-the-business-council-are-pushing-coal-but-on-what-evidence
Promoting coal at UN Climate Summit, did Patrick Suckling speak officially for Australia?
Climate Mobilisation Australia, 11 Dec 18, The Australian Ambassador for the Environment, Patrick Suckling, appeared on a panel for a US government side-event pushing clean coal technologies as climate solutions. The session on Monday 10 December was called: “U.S. Innovative Technologies Spur Economic Dynamism – Promoting innovative approaches”.
One must ask was Ambassador Suckling’s presence sanctioned at Ministerial level? His attendance on the panel is hardly good diplomacy for Australia, even given the Liberal Government support for coal and weak climate targets and climate policy.
After about 9 minutes the first speaker was disrupted and youth and civil society delegates unfurled a banner and made their own testimonies on the disruptive and dangerous nature of coal for health and climate.
They chanted “Keep it in the ground” and “Shame on you”, before leaving the session. After they left, there were very few people to listen to the myths being spouted of clean coal.
Watch the Facebook Livestream video of young delegates taking over the side event about 9 minutes in and making their own testimony on the fossil fuel industry.
The Australia Institute Director of Climate & Energy Program Richie Merzian was there to document the session in the tweets below.
“How could this be good for Australia? The Ambassador finding himself in the middle of the largest cultural battle at #COP24” remarks Richie Merzian…… https://www.facebook.com/groups/859848424161990/
Australia silent, as New Zealand rules out using ‘Kyoto credits’ for Paris
New Zealand rules out using ‘Kyoto credits’ for Paris, Australia shtum, (shtum means silent, non-communicative), Brisbane Times ,By Peter Hannam, 11 December 2018 New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister James Shaw has ruled out his nation using carryover credits to count against its Paris climate target, saying such a move would make it challenging for the world to meet the important goal of reducing emissions.Australia silent
Mr Shaw made the comments to Australasian journalists in a conference call on Tuesday after meeting his Australian counterpart Melissa Price during the climate talks in Katowice, Poland.
As the Herald has reported, Ms Price and her environment department have refused to exclude use of any surplus credit generated during the soon-to-be concluded Kyoto Protocol against Australia’s Paris emissions pledges.
Federal Labor also said it won’t rule out the use of Kyoto credits until it has received advice………
Low ranking
Mr Shaw’s comments come as Australia was named 55th out of 60 nations on a Climate Change Performance Index compiled by Germanwatch, a non-government agency. Saudi Arabia and the US occupied the bottom rankings, while Sweden and Morocco topped the list.
Australia scored particularly poorly for its national climate policy and per capita greenhouse gas emissions – at more than 16 tonnes of CO2 a year – both ranked second-worst.
The Paris target – in which the Abbott government set at reducing 2005 levels of carbon pollution to 26 per cent by 2030 – was rated 12th among the 60 nations.
Bushfire threat to vital koala habitat
Salamander Bay bushfire threatens homes, vital koala habitat in Port Stephens, ABC 11 Dec 18 An entire koala population in Port Stephens could be wiped out after a fire devastated their habitat near Port Stephens, an animal rescue group fears.
An estimated 16 hectares of the Mambo Wetlands, north of Newcastle, was scorched on Monday night, according to Port Stephens Koalas.
The reserve is about 40 per cent of the vital koala habitat.
The blaze broke out near the Salamander Bay shopping centre about 6:30pm and dozens of firefighters spent the night backburning to protect homes.
It burnt away more than 80 hectares of swampy scrub, which made access difficult for fire crews.
The fire flared up to a watch and act level at 3:00am, but weather conditions eased in the early hours and the blaze was brought under control.
Carers from the rescue group today surveyed the damage and fielded calls about stranded and injured wildlife.
Simone Aurino, senior carer at Port Stephens Koalas, said the reserve was one of the most important areas in the Tomaree Peninsula.
“It has a viable breeding population and its central to all the other habitats,” she said.
“It’s a really, really essential habitat.”
Ms Aurino said the blaze would lead to significant flow-on effects which may not be known for some time.
“It has the potential to wipe out the population in this area, it’s really quite devastating,” she said.
“The habitat’s been changed, so the animals are going to move…….https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-11/bushfire-threatens-vital-koala-habitat-in-port-stephens/10605160
Australia’s Liberal Coalition govt cosying up to coal megaminer Adani
Adani met with environment department 40 times in six monthsCoalition ‘holding Adani’s hand’ through mine approvals, Greens senator says, Guardian, Lisa Cox and Ben Smee, Tue 11 Dec 2018
The environment minister, Melissa Price, and energy minister, Angus Taylor, met the company once each in Canberra. The meetings occurred between 7 May and 7 November this year and were tabled by the department in response to questions on notice from the Greens senator Larissa Waters.
Waters had asked at an estimates hearing in October if the department, minister or assistant minister had “met with Adani representatives or lobbyists in the past six months”.
She said on Tuesday the number of meetings suggested the department was “holding Adani’s hand through the approvals process”.
The number of meetings was evidence of the “cosy relationship” Adani had with the federal government, Waters said.
“The environment department is supposed to be a regulator and protector of our environment yet it’s holding Adani’s hand through the approvals process to get this mega coalmine off the ground.
“It shouldn’t be facilitating the development of a new dirty coalmine, it should be standing up for the best interests of our people and planet.”
The company announced late last month it would self-finance its controversial coalmine but it still requires approvals from state and federal governments for its groundwater-dependent ecosystem management plan and its management plan for the black-throated finch before significant work can start at the site.
The Queensland government is also under renewed pressure to rule out two potential subsidies to Adani.
The Mackay Conservation group released polling of marginal central Queensland electorates on Tuesday that showed 60% of people oppose any form of government subsidy. Only 22% supported subsidies, and 18% were unsure.
An Australia Institute report has found a potential royalties deferment deal would effectively be a low-interest loan to Adani, worth up to $385m.
The report also looked at $100m in road upgrades being considered by the Queensland government. It analysed approval plans for the Carmichael mine and found Adani’s vehicles “would be nearly all of the traffic on the road”.
Researcher Tom Swann, the author of the report, said: “The Queensland government has said repeatedly that it will not provide taxpayer funds to Adani, but Queenslanders are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars because of these deals.”
The state government’s public statements on Adani have been sceptical in recent weeks since the announcement it would self-fund a slimmed down version of Carmichael.
The premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said last month, “We will believe it when we see it”.
The royalties deal, which has not yet been signed, was premised as support for the “first mover” in a coal basin………. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/11/adani-met-with-environment-department-40-times-in-six-months
8th SNAICC National Conference- hosted by SNAICC – National Voice for our Children
2 – 5 September 2019, Adelaide Convention Centre
“The conference is hosted by SNAICC – National Voice for our Children. SNAICC is the national non-government peak body in Australia representing the interest of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The conference is convened to assist with the achievement of the SNAICC vision: An Australian society in which our communities are empowered to determine their own future; where the rights of our children, young people and families are protected; where our cultural identity and achievements are valued; and our children and families have access to culturally appropriate services.
As the largest Conference of its type in the southern hemisphere the SNAICC Conference provides the opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, policy makers, researchers, government representatives, other non-government organisations and industry representatives to gather and make renewed commitments to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The Conference provides a powerful and inspiring learning experience for attendees and features:
- International and local keynote speakers
- Over 70 concurrent sessions, yarning circles, panels and workshops
- Displays, poster presentations, exhibitors
- Cultural highlights and performances
- Social events and opportunities to network and connect with peers
It is expected that the 2019 Conference will again attract a diverse audience of 1000 participants from all over the country. This will provide a dynamic networking and learning opportunity for attendees. SNAICC aims to develop a program and conference experience that is culturally rich, interactive and culturally safe.”
Strong Identity, Strong Culture and Strong Connection
Our Mob, Our Lore, Our Country – Our Way
Australia’s ambassador for environment, Patrick Suckling ridiculed as he joins USA pro coal panel in Poland
A Trump administration presentation extolling the virtues of fossil fuels at the UN climate talks in Poland has been met with guffaws of laughter and chants of “Shame on you”.Monday’s protest came during a panel discussion by the official US delegation, which used its only public appearance to promote the “unapologetic utilisation” of coal, oil and gas. Although these industries are the main source of the carbon emissions that are causing global warming, the speakers boasted the US would expand production for the sake of global energy security and planned a new fleet of coal plants with technology it hoped to export to other countries.
The event featured prominent cheerleaders for fossil fuels and nuclear power, Continue reading
Australia quietly sabotages UN climate change message, in Poland
Australia’s silence during climate change debate shocks COP24 delegates, Guardian, Ben Doherty in Katowice, Poland@bendohertycorro, Mon 10 Dec 2018
Country accused of tacitly supporting oil allies’ rejection of the latest science As four of the world’s largest oil and gas producers blocked UN climate talks from “welcoming” a key scientific report on global warming, Australia’s silence during a key debate is being viewed as tacit support for the four oil allies: the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait.
The end of the first week of the UN climate talks – known as COP24 – in Katowice, Poland, has been mired by protracted debate over whether the conference should “welcome” or “note” a key report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Negotiators spent two and a half hours trying to hammer out a compromise without success.
The apparently minor semantic debate has significant consequences, and the deadlock ensures the debate will spill into the second critical week of negotiations, with key government ministers set to arrive in Katowice.
Most of the world’s countries spoke out in fierce opposition to the oil allies’ position. The push to adopt the wording “welcome” was led by the Maldives, leader of the alliance of small island states, of which Australia’s Pacific island neighbours are members.
They were backed by a broad swathe of support, including from the EU, the bloc of 47 least developed countries, the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean, African, American and European nations, and Pacific countries such as the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.
Australia did not speak during the at-times heated debate, a silence noted by many countries on the floor of the conference, Dr Bill Hare, the managing director of Climate Analytics and a lead author on previous IPCC reports, told Guardian Australia.
“Australia’s silence in the face of this attack yesterday shocked many countries and is widely seen as de facto support for the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait’s refusal to welcome the IPCC report,” Hare said.
Richie Merzian, climate and energy program director at the Australia Institute, said widespread goodwill across the Katowice talks was being undermined by “a handful of countries” trying to disconnect the science and urgency from the implementation of the Paris agreement.
“It is disappointing but not surprising that Australia kept its head down during the debate … by remaining silent and not putting a position forward, Australia has tacitly supported the US, Russia and Saudi Arabia’s rejection of the latest science on climate change.”
Merzian said Australia’s regional neighbours, including New Zealand and Pacific islands, had voiced strong support for the IPCC’s report, which was a key outcome of the Paris agreement.
“A number of delegates privately shared their frustration that countries like Australia stood on the sidelines while Trump’s, Putin’s and King Salman’s representatives laid waste to the fundamental climate science.”
Hare said the interests of the fossil fuel industry were seeking to thwart the conference’s drive towards larger emissions cuts.
“The fossil fuel interest – coal, oil and gas – campaign against the IPCC 1.5 report and science continues to play out in the climate talks, but even those countries [opposing welcoming the report] are being hit by the impacts of only one degree of warming.
“The big challenge now is for the Polish presidency to set aside its obsession with coal, get out of the way and allow full acknowledgement of the IPCC 1.5C report, and its implications for increasing the ambition of all countries, in the conclusion of COP24 later this week.”
Australia’s environment minister, Melissa Price, arrived in Katowice on Sunday, with negotiations set to resume Monday morning……..
Australia’s emissions, seasonally adjusted, increased 1.3% over the past quarter. Excluding emissions from land use, land use change and forestry (for which the calculations are controversial), they are at a record high. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/10/australias-silence-during-climate-change-debate-shocks-cop24-delegate
Australia’s dirty tricks in Poland: getting away with no reduction in greenhouse emissions
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‘Fake action’: Australia’s secret path to hitting Paris climate goals, Brisbane Times, By Peter Hannam,– 10 December 2018 Australia could use a little-known loophole to help meet up to half its Paris climate commitments in a move that analysts warn could undermine the global accord. Neither Environment Minister Melissa Price nor Labor will rule out counting Australia’s expected credits from beating its 2020 goal under the soon-to-be-superseded Kyoto Protocol against its 2030 Paris pledge. The analysts say such a move by Australia would encourage other nations to follow suit. One ex-member of Australia’s negotiating team said the government had considered using the credits for some time even though it went against the spirit of the Paris accord signed in 2015. While not formally on the agenda at the current climate talks in Poland, the issue of Kyoto credits is expected to be discussed in coming days. Continue reading |
1 This month
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/235274195556
20 May – Webinar – The dangerous world of AUKUS, US, military occupation and suppression of dissent
National Webinar, 20th May, 2026, 6.30pm AEST. Confronting laws restricting/suppressing protest speech and action
Speakers: Former Sen. Rex Patrick, Lawyer Nick Hanna ,Arthur Rorris ,Jorgen Doyle, Sen David Shoebbridge,
Facilitator Kelley Tranter.
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 