Jack River has slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s roadmap to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
The coalition unveiled Australia’s Long Term Emissions Reduction Plan on Tuesday, a week out from the Glasgow Climate Summit. Despite promising to achieve net zero by 2050, the document has faced widespread scrutiny for failing to introduce any new policies or legislation to achieve the goal.
Net zero means not contributing to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. A goal achieved by a combination of cutting emissions — via reducing gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), which are released in the use of fossil fuels – and implementing offsetting measures, like planting trees and carbon-capture technology.
Australia’s long-term emissions reduction plan proposed jobs, but no new taxes or mandates. It has faced criticism for failing to include toughening of emissions targets for 2030 — a key component scientists are pushing world leaders for at the Glasgow Climate Summit.
Under the plan, which Scott Morrison dubbed “uniquely Australian”, Australia’s dependence on fossil fuels, coal, and gas will continue.
Instead, Morrison suggests that Australia will reach its emissions reduction through a technology roadmap. The “technology not taxes” document suggests that Australia will reach 40% of emissions reduction through the technology roadmap, while 30% comes from unspecified global technology trends, and “further technology breakthroughs”. It’s all vague.
On October 25th, artists and music industry professionals, including the likes of 5 Seconds of Summer, Jessica Mauboy and Jack River, signed an open letter alongside advocacy group Global Citizen. The letter demanded that Australia’s leaders stop dragging their feet in the way of combatting climate change.
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“We are less than 10 days out from one of the most important global meetings of our lifetime, COP 26,” the statement reads, “and Australia has not released a clear plan for protecting our planet and addressing climate change.”
The open letter details a list of proposed actions and targets, which include:
1. An ambitious emission reduction target for Australia by 2030 that is in-line with preventing more than 1.5° C of global warming, and a plan for how it is going to be achieved.
2. A firm commitment to reach net zero by 2050 at the latest and a plan for how it is going to be achieved.
3. Increased international climate financing towards Australia’s fair share of the $100 billion per year promised by developed countries to support vulnerable nations, particularly in the Pacific region, in halting and dealing with the effects of climate change.
Morrison, the message reads, “please show up with an ambitious and clear plan on behalf of the majority of Australians who want to see our country take action on climate change. We cannot miss this critical moment in time, the future of our planet depends on it.”
Obviously, Morrison’s proposed roadmap to net zero falls short of the plan outlined in the open letter. During a recent interview with Jackson Langford for NME, Holly Rankin, who performs under Jack River, slammed Morrison’s plans as “paper thin.”
“A plan announced on paper with no legislative commitment is not good enough,” she said, “it’s paper thin, gutless, and it’s going to cost our country now and in the long run… We need decisive action in the next decade to keep the planet below 1.5 degrees of warming.”
Jack River went on to highlight that Australia’s plans fail to reach the promises of other nations, “The business, agriculture and renewable energy communities, unions like the [Australian Council of Trade Unions] and the next generation of voters want a net zero by 2030 target,” she said.
“The EU, UK, USA and most other developed countries have set targets to reduce emissions by 50-70 per cent by 2030, yet Scott Morrison cannot even commit us in law to net zero by 2050.”
She continued, “I would like to see the government make a commitment that looks more like 75 per cent emissions reduction by 2030, and net zero by 2035.
“I would also like to see Labor make a policy like this ahead of the next election. We will likely not see it from either party, and it makes me want to explode with anger and sadness on so many levels.
“We are literally throwing away the country’s future to save the jobs of a handful of greedy politicians who are funded by oil and gas companies and blind trusts.”
