RESPONDING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S approval of the Atlas gas project, which will see up to 151 new coal seam gas wells drilled in Queensland, Climate Council Head of Policy and Advocacy Dr Jennifer Rayner said: “Gas is a polluting fossil fuel which can be just as dirty as coal. Australia is already using less gas across the energy system as our homes and businesses embrace clean energy and places like Victoria and the ACT start phasing this fossil fuel out altogether.
“Climate Council’s ‘Seize the Decade’ plan shows how we can halve our use of gas in homes and businesses, by accelerating the move to clean electricity and more efficient appliances. To slash climate pollution further and faster we need to replace gas with clean alternatives wherever we can.
“Australia does not need new gas. We already have more than enough gas to meet our small and shrinking needs as we shift to clean energy. Gas supply from existing projects would be enough to meet Australia’s domestic needs for more than 60 years.
“Over 80 percent of Australia’s gas is used for the export industry, but our main export partners like Japan and South Korea are also getting off gas as they cut climate pollution. At the same time, there is a global glut of gas emerging as new supply comes online from places like Qatar and the USA.
“Australia should not add to climate pollution and the global glut of gas by opening new gas projects. This puts the future safety of our kids at risk and heaps more harm onto our environment through unnatural disasters like fires, floods and drought.
“We need a stronger national environment law that can protect our environment by saying ‘no’ to polluting projects like Atlas that cause more climate harm. The government should stop green lighting fossil fuel projects and get on with fixing our broken national environment law.”
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The Climate Council is Australia’s leading community-funded climate change communications organisation. We provide authoritative, expert and evidence-based advice on climate change to journalists, policymakers, and the wider Australian community.
