The Government is strongly committed to reducing Australia's carbon pollution.
If Australia takes no action by 2020 our carbon pollution could be 20 per cent higher than in 2000, not 5 to 25 per cent lower as the Government intends. The Government’s targets are equivalent to a reduction in every Australian’s carbon footprint of nearly one third to one half. To help achieve our ambitious target of lowering these emissions to up to 25 per cent below 2000 levels, the Australian Government is developing and putting in place the policies we need.
The Australian Government believes the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) is the cheapest and most effective way of tackling climate change and is committed to the bipartisan emissions reductions targets. However, due to a lack of bipartisan support on the CPRS, combined with slow progress on reaching a credible global agreement to limit carbon emissions, the Government has delayed the introduction of the CPRS.
In the short term the Government will boost existing investments in clean and renewable energy and support greater energy efficiency measures in order to bring down greenhouse gas emissions.
The Australian Government is investing more than $5 billion in developing and commercialising clean energy technologies because we know these technologies will be crucial for Australia’s efforts to reduce its carbon pollution emissions. These technologies will also be important to the rest of the world as they also need to reduce their carbon pollution.
Australia has set a Renewable Energy Target of 20 per cent by 2020. This means that by 2020, one-fifth of Australia’s electricity will come from renewable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal power.
Through our Clean Energy Initiative we are investing $4.5 billion to help Australia use our abundance of natural resources to create a cleaner energy supply and to reduce our carbon pollution emissions. The Initiative will create more jobs in clean industries by giving investors the confidence to back low emissions technologies such as solar power, energy from ‘hot rocks’ in the earth’s crust, and carbon capture and storage.
Grayndler Climate Forum Timely After Release of Carbon Pollution Green Paper
Grayndler residents had an opportunity to hear all about the Federal Government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Green Paper.
Speakers at the forum, Senator Penny Wong, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Water and Dr Ben McNeil from the University of NSW Climate Change Research Centre, answered questions from the audience.
Kyoto Protocol
On 3 December 2007, then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd signed the instrument of ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. This was the first official act of the new Australian Government.
Anthony welcomed this clear demonstration of Labor’s commitment to facing up to the challenges of climate change and water. They are the greatest challenges of this century.
The Federal Government is committed to doing everything in its power to help Australia meet its Kyoto Protocol obligations.
Anthony has campaigned long and hard for Australia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, including introducing a Private Members Bill into Parliament.
After more than eleven years of climate change denial under John Howard, Labor is making Australia part of the global climate change solution.
On 5 January 2006, Bob Sercombe, then Shadow Minister for Pacific Island Affairs and Overseas Aid, and Anthony Albanese released Labor's comprehensive Pacific Climate Change Strategy. To read Our Drowning Neighbours, click here.
Climate Change Media Releases
11 June 2010 Electric vehicle tours Inner West
The first mass-produced fully-electric car, Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV, has hit the streets of the Inner West. Minister for Transport and Member for Grayndler Anthony Albanese took one of these new, revolutionary vehicles for a test drive through some of the narrow streets of Newtown and Camperdown. Mr Albanese said the first 40 cars available in Australia will be offered to governments, the media and fleet buyers as a way of encouraging the trialling and uptake of these alternative power vehicles.More...
2 December 2009 Greens join sceptics to stop action on climate change
Anthony Albanese today expressed his disappointment that the Rudd Labor Government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) legislation was voted down in the Senate for a second time by a coalition of Greens, Liberal, National and Family First Party Senators.More...
26 August 2009 Albanese slams local Liberal sceptics in Parliament
Federal Member for Grayndler, Anthony Albanese, criticised Ashfield Councillor Nick Adams in Federal Parliament over comments he made that climate change was ‘a crock’.More...
8 April 2009 Think Climate Change and win great prizes!
Federal Member for Grayndler Anthony Albanese is encouraging local school kids to enter a new national competition to tell Australia what they think about climate change.More...
26 March 2008 Earth Hour in Grayndler – Switch on to Switching Off
Last year on March 31 2007, Sydneysiders, both residents and businesses, turned off their lights for one hour, Earth Hour, a symbolic gesture which showed the world their commitment to fighting climate change. Anthony Albanese is backing Earth Hour 2008 and has signed himself and his Marrickville office up to the campaign.More...
(As Shadow Minister for the Environment and Heritage)
26 November 2006 Victorians vote for practical action over climate change
Newly re-elected Premier Steve Bracks has emphasised that yesterday’s election sends a clear message to the Federal Government to stop dictating about nuclear reactors and take practical action over climate change.More...
17 November 2006 Climate change needs political commitment, not political spin
For the past fortnight, 165 countries have been meeting at the United Nations climate change conference in Kenya, making decisions about the practical implementation of the Kyoto Protocol and the future of international efforts to tackle climate change.More...
14 November 2006 Howard Government cannot be trusted on climate change
Addressing climate change requires immediate action based on a solid policy framework, not insincere daily back-flips and a taskforce to tell the electorate what it already knows.More...
10 November 2006 Winds of Change in US Catch Howard Out
The imminent election of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the US House of Representatives is great news for people concerned about climate change.More...
9 November 2006 Leadership on Climate Change from Premier Iemma
Today’s announcement by NSW Premier, Morris Iemma of a 15% mandatory renewable energy target by 2020 is a significant step forward in Australia’s efforts to tackle climate change and build a strong clean energy industry.More...
2 November 2006 Howard spends more than double on Government ads than on climate change
The Howard Government is more than twice as keen on self-promotion and propaganda than on addressing climate change. Since 1996, the Howard Government has spent over $1.5 billion on Government advertising, but only spent $670 million on climate change programs. More...
2 November 2006 Minister Proposes Climate Change Cover Up
The Howard Government is thrashing around for relevance on the greatest challenge facing the global community. They can’t come up with a serious, comprehensive response because they have a Prime Minister who doesn’t think climate change is real. More...
30 October 2006 A Stern Warning: Sink or Swim
The British Government today released the Stern Report - the most comprehensive analysis on the economic impact of climate change to date. The Stern Report is a clear warning that, left unchecked, climate change will have catastrophic economic consequences.More...
16 October 2006 Campbell red faced in China
The renewable energy target has been kept at 2% because Howard Government Ministers deny climate change is happening and oppose support for renewables. More...
16 October 2006 Our future lies in renewables, Mr Howard
John Howard’s policies are closing renewable energy projects in Australia, but the Prime Minister arrogantly dismissed this fact. More...
22 September 2006 Virgin gets climate change
Virgin’s CEO Richard Branson has added to the growing global momentum for action to avoid dangerous climate change... More...
21 September 2006 Jobs blown away by Howard inaction on climate change
Howard Government inaction on climate change means Australian jobs have been lost or have gone overseas, and Australia’s renewable energy market left behind... More...
19 September 2006 AFL kicks goal against climate change
Labor congratulates the AFL for taking strong action and showing leadership in the effort to avoid dangerous climate change... More...
12 September 2006 Howard isolated on climate change
The Howard Government has independent reports and expert advice from the CSIRO stating that, if strong action is not taken, temperatures and sea levels will rise to dangerous levels. John Howard knows climate change is a serious threat to Australia’s economy and environment, but he is ignoring the inconvenient truth. ... More...
11 September 2006 Climate change not “entertainment”, it is reality
The Minister for Industry, Ian Macfarlane, today dismissed Al Gore’s movie about climate change, An Inconvenient Truth, as “just entertainment”. It is extremely arrogant and naive to dismiss An Inconvenient Truth as “just entertainment”... More...
4 September 2006 Climate change - An inconvenient truth for John Howard
The inconvenient truth for John Howard is that he has isolated Australia from global action on climate change, increasing the risk of environmental and economic damage to Australia. More...
28 August 2006 John Howard – Dangerously Out of Touch on Climate Change
John Howard’s decision to rule out significant cuts in Australia’s soaring greenhouse pollution shows how dangerously out of touch he is with the Australian community and Australian businesses... More...
20 August 2006 Ian Macfarlane – Climate Sceptic and Market Sceptic
Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane has today revealed an extraordinary ignorance of science and economics. The Industry Minister has concluded National Science Week by proudly accepting the tag of “climate change sceptic”. That’s a complete repudiation for Australia’s internationally respected climate scientists... More...
16 August 2006 Costello & Howard at odds over emissions trading
On 18 January 2006, in a speech in Los Angeles supporting price signals for energy, Peter Costello stated that: A market based solution will give the right signal to producers and to consumers. It will make clear the opportunity cost of using energy resources, thereby encouraging more and better investment in additional sources of supply and improving the efficiency with which they are used. That has to be good for both producers and consumers and better for the environment... More...
4 August 2006 Campbell humiliated by parrot
Environment Minister Ian Campbell has been humiliated by the decision of the Federal Court today requiring him to reconsider “according to law” his intervention to block the Bald Hills wind farm in Gippsland, Victoria... More...
7 June 2006 If Campbell listened on climate he’d get a better hearing on whales
At today’s Day of Action to Protect Whales we must remember that the campaign for international action to outlaw whaling is undermined by Australia’s refusal to be part of global action to address climate change, the biggest issue facing Pacific Island nations... More...
6 June 2006 Tasmanian company Roaring 40s points the way to Australia’s clean energy future
Tasmanian company Roaring 40s points the way to Australia’s clean energy future. Roaring 40’s announced after the Budget last month they would not be proceeding with projects in Tasmania and South Australia because of a lack of Federal Government support. It is appalling that Australian renewable energy innovation is welcomed in China, but not Australia...More...
5 June 2006 Howard Government has no agenda for big environmental challenges
World Environment Day is a day for the Howard Government to commit to national leadership on the environment. There is no greater environmental challenge than climate change and every other environmental issue will be affected by climate change... More...
For more speeches or other information on Climate Change, please use the search facility in the top right hand corner of any page of this website.
News Items and Published Opinion Pieces
22 February 2006 Market needed to drive new technology - Opinion - The New Matilda
One thing that makes people disillusioned with politics is the tension between short political election cycles and the vision required for planning the long term future. But with climate change, the problem and the solutions needed to address it extend not only beyond political cycles, but over lifetimes.More...
1 August 2005 New deal on climate off target - Opinion - The Australian
Avoiding dangerous climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing the global community. Climate skeptics who questioned the scientific basis of climate change have been isolated as the flat-earthers of the 21st Century ... More...
11 June 2005 Nuclear Power is not the way - Opinion - The Age
We need solutions that solve problems, not create them. Maybe I'm missing something, but can someone please explain when nuclear energy was not allowed to be debated in Australia ... More...
14 February 2005 A chance to love our planet - Opinion - The Australian
Valentine’s Day is regarded with cynicism by some but many more participate in the ritual on this day each year. It provides an impetus for courtship and for many it is an opportunity to show appreciation for their loving relationship. As important as human relationships are ... More...
The links below are for organisations making an important contribution to the debate over climate change policy. We believe that their ideas and discussions are worth reading.
Please note the material on these sites is NOT a statement of ALP policy and that we do not necessarily endorse the views on those sites.
