The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) paints a grim picture about the health of our planet, but the Clean Energy Council says that with renewable energy here now, rapid decarbonisation solutions and opportunities abound.
Renewable energy has been doing the lion's share in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. It is a proven technology with enormous potential to reduce carbon efficiently and cost-effectively long into the future.
Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton says that AR6 serves as a confronting warning for Australia to rapidly transition from fossil fuels.
"AR6 could not be more explicit about the urgency required to cut carbon emissions, and the clean energy industry is ready to continue doing the heavy lifting.
"Australia has tremendous potential to produce low-cost electricity from renewables which can power the country and the world, and we must lean into the clean energy transition, not seek to hold back the tide. When the upside of taking action is so good for jobs, the economy and the environment, why would we delay?"
The report sets out that net-zero emissions by 2050 should be a priority, not a preference, and that every action taken to mitigate the likely 1.5 degrees of warming that's expected over the next decade will make a difference.
"Clean energy not only outperforms fossil fuel-based sources of generation, but it also provides much-needed stimulus to employment and the economy as we continue to find a path out of the pandemic," says Thornton.
"Fossil fuel generation doesn't stack up economically or environmentally.
"Australians know the impact of climate change all too well, and this report is just the latest to illustrate that we don't do enough to combat this global issue. Nationally, energy policy has been politicised for far too long, and AR6 lays out the consequences of continuing to delay the clean energy transition. Australia is in an enviable position to be able to harness the power of clean energy resources, providing a pathway to turning our reputation as a climate laggard around."
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For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Jane Aubrey
Clean Energy Council Media Manager
[email protected]
+61 409 470 683
