Finally Laying The Foundations For Climate Action

July 12, 2011 in Campaigns, Rants & Raves
Tags: ACTU, ALP, Australia, carbon price, carbon tax, climate change, environment, federal government, greenhouse gas emissions, Greens, personal opinion, politics, voters, workers rights, Your Rights at Work

NOTE: This was originally published on the R@W News Blog as “Laying the foundations for climate action”

Yesterday’s carbon price package announcement marked an historic moment in Australia’s sustainable future. It marked a recognition that polluting our environment can no longer be done for free. It marked a shift in thinking to take opportunities in new cleaner industries, and making existing industries more efficient.

And it marked the laying of foundations for climate action based on the science.

Australia’s unions respect the science and understand that the world is already starting to act and reduce carbon emissions.

We know Australia is the most carbon-exposed economy in the developed world – and that means if we delay action, we will suffer terrible economic consequences.

Worse still, we are lagging behind the rest of the world, which is already taking action.

And when we listen to the economists they tell us that the best way to reduce carbon pollution is through a market mechanism.

Australia’s unions approached the Carbon Price negotiations with three priorities.

1. To ensure that Australian families did not bear the brunt of the cost.

While the price is directed at the 500 biggest carbon polluters, we recognised that they would attempt to pass this cost on to consumers.

The compensation package announced by the government yesterday ensures that workers and their families will not be penalised. And if they take the opportunity to reduce their carbon consumption, they will come out ahead.

This isn’t rocket science but it’s clear that by doing things around the house to cut our energy use we won’t have to pay as much.

2. To ensure that workers in carbon-exposed industries were protected.

The measures for the industry assistance mean that jobs need not be lost if industry plans for their futures based on the reality of dealing of climate change.

Australia’s unions will be part of that process of managing change in a way that no one is left on the scrap heap. As we’ve said repeatedly on this blog and in a bunch of other places, climate change is union business.

3. It is important to recognise that there are opportunities from acting now on climate change, not later.

The renewable energy package announced gives Australian manufacturing a golden opportunity to take a lead on the technologies that are needed to deal with the carbon challenge. Don’t forget we still need the skills and knowledge in the current workforce to build and sustain cleaner industries. Let us not forget they’ll be needed to help existing industries manufacture cleaner technologies.

There are tens of thousands of jobs that could be created if industry steps up to the plate.

Australia’s unions took the position that the greatest long-term threat to workers was to ignore the climate science and refuse to act.

But the worst thing Australia’s unions can do for workers and their families is to stick our head in the sand and do nothing. That’s why unions are involved in the discussions and negotiations, making sure that workers’ rights and interests are considered.

Unfortunately it wasn’t even an hour after the Prime Minister announced the carbon price package, the Opposition was quick to pour out more negativity. Tony Abbott continued to repeat the same, tired lines he’s used for the past 10 months. Then we had Joe Hockey, Shadow Treasurer, repeat the same, tired lines he’s used for the past 10 months.

And just for a change Nationals’ Senator Barnaby Joyce, an accountant by trade, offered his more comical, but sadly misguided commentary. It too was the same, tired stuff he’s used for the past 10 months.

We don’t need more scare campaigns, more misinformation and more negativity.

Now is the time to act. Time to get on with it!

Alex Schlotzer is ACTU web campaigns officer