Forewords by CEO and Cristina Talacko

WELCOME

IN MY VIEW

TIME TO CUT THE GAS

COAL HAS RECEIVED the lion’s share of attention for its destructive role in climate change caused by its substantial contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, but the focus on coal has allowed the other highly polluting Australian fossil fuel – gas – to fly under the radar.

For decades the gas industry has played a sophisticated game of greenwashing this

John Grimes, Chief Executive Smart Energy Council

destructive fossil fuel, marketing it as ‘natural gas’ (as if ‘natural’ equals ‘good’). But this ‘natural’ gas, which is predominantly methane gas, is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Methane leaks in the distribution system are common, and carbon emissions created from burning gas are significant.

In a massive sleight of hand, the fossil fuel industry is playing a pea and thimble trick on a grand scale. Focus on coal. Don’t make eye contact with gas. Gas generation can not only be allowed to continue but also undergo expansion.

In the United States the gas fracking industry has boomed.

And in Australia things are dire. The federal government has put gas at the heart of its plans for a post-COVID economic recovery. Now we learn the federal government is backing a plan to make capacity payments to new and existing coal- and gas-fired generators ostensibly to ensure sufficient generation capacity is available to meet electricity demand at all times.

These payments could cost taxpayers up to $7bn a year, which is a staggering $400 per household per year. The effect will be to encourage existing and new gas generation to come online, and to keep emissionsintensive coal plants in the system for as long as possible.

It is time for a concerted campaign to put a stop to fossil fuel gas. Full stop. As UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, the IPCC Report is a ‘Code Red’ for humanity and “this report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet”.

Amen.

produces no greenhouse gas emissions. That is why conservatives must incentivise innovation while encouraging responsible corporations and individuals to embrace nature-based solutions.

Conservatism must also pursue growth for both Australia and poorer countries by licensing our climate-change technology and encouraging private investment and free trade.

Finally, Australia is very well placed to set out a clearly articulated pathway committing to net zero emissions by 2050 and renewables as well as international collaboration will play a pivotal role. Business and technological ingenuity are already here, all we need now is political will and the support of our conservative leaders.

Cristina Talacko is Chair, Coalition for Conservation

CLIMATE ACTION AND CONSERVATISM ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE

WE’VE ALL HEARD that climate change is a global challenge that requires a global solution and that it’s imperative that global forces combine to collectively reduce emissions to secure a viable future for the next generations.

But it is also time to show the global community that conservatives take climate change seriously. For this reason, Coalition for Conservation has joined forces with international organisations like the UK Conservative Environment Network and the American Conservation Coalition to host the first-ever Global Conservative Climate Summit (GCCS) alongside COP26 in Glasgow this November.

Our summit will be an important platform that unites conservatives from across the world to collaborate and pursue market-based solutions for the ever-growing environmental challenges society faces.

This discussion will be facilitated by thought leaders and prominent lawmakers, aiming to enhance policy that will strengthen our economies while protecting the planet.

Climate action and conservatism are not mutually exclusive: protecting our planet, achieving net zero-emission targets, and strengthening our economy must occur simultaneously. Conservative values were born from a desire to achieve individual freedom, a free market, and equal opportunity and the key to providing security to people and maintaining a prosperous economy is a healthy stable environment.

Climate change poses a major threat to financial stability and national security, and there is no question that the global community is becoming increasingly concerned.

The good news is that technological advancements and market mechanisms can enable a climate-friendly free market and help to reduce emissions. The strong economic case for clean technologies continues to grow, and renewables are the perfect example that it can be done in an economically viable way. If we diversify energy supply, economic development will follow, and jobs will be created while we also generate energy that