Hi
Last night, the federal government rejected a deal on the Renewable Energy Target. A renewables industry body, brought to its knees by a year of the government’s sabotage, proposed a desperately weak target to end the deadlock.
The clean energy industry should never have been put in this situation.
At the last election, the federal government promised to support renewable energy. But over the past 12 months, their attacks on clean energy have cost jobs and investment across the country.
It’s infuriating.
Together we’ve been working hard to grow a clean energy future and we won’t stop now. 88 per cent of Australians support clean energy. In fact only big polluting energy companies will benefit from the government’s actions.
Over the past few weeks, hundreds of you called and emailed your MPs, asking them to keep the Renewable Energy Target strong. You told them how much you want a clean energy future.
You spoke to MP staffers, left messages and sent follow up emails. Some of you were handballed from pillar to post, but you persevered – thank you.
Megan from central Victoria talked to her MP about how sad she feels when she reads Dr Seuss’ The Lorax to her seven-year-old daughter. Helen told her pollie that Longreach’s community is on its knees from the drought – and weakening the Renewable Energy Target will increase energy costs and push local businesses to the wall.
Thousands of you put up clean energy posters in greengrocers, schools and libraries, too. Just a few weeks ago, I was in Bega, NSW, and was thrilled to see one of these posters in a local cafe. Your love for renewable energy stands out in electorates across the country.
Will you help spread the clean energy message even further? If you haven’t already, put up some posters in public places! Let us know how many and we’ll post them to you.
A clean energy boom is taking off across the world. Australia is lagging behind right now, but it’s just a matter of time before we catch up.
In the meantime, it’s up to us to spread the word. Keep the pressure on the government and call out the big polluting energy companies holding us back.
Victoria
Victoria McKenzie-McHarg
Climate Change Manager
Australian Conservation Foundation
PS. Thanks for coming to our Count Me In! community conversations in Bendigo and Melbourne last week. We’re heading to Canberra, Brisbane, Ipswich and Adelaide next – will you join us?
