Yahoo Finance Labor pledges to create 70,000 jobs with $10bn climate plan
Labor has revealed its climate action pledge, promising to reduce Australia’s pollution by 45 per cent and create 70,000 jobs in the process.
Under the plan, announced today, Australia would reach net zero pollution by 2050.
It plans to do this by ensuring 50 per cent of all new government vehicles are electric by 2025 and that half of all new vehicles sold are electric by 2030.
By this stage, the Labor party also wants 50 per cent of the country’s electricity generated to be renewable.
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Meanwhile, homeowners would be offered rebates on renewable energy and solar power storage batteries of up to $2,000.
The Labor party would also reduce the pollution caps on Australia’s 250 biggest polluters, promising to offset the cost for businesses through industrial and international offsets.
There is also an incentive for firms to make money by reducing pollution below baseline levels and earning credits.
However, farmers would be exempt from the targets but will be expected to work towards carbon neutral by 2030.
The plan comes as a new study from Environmental Justice Australia reveals Australia is permitting power stations to produce levels of toxic pollution that other countries like Bangladesh and India are attempting to address.
“State governments are allowing coal-fired power stations to emit as much as 20 times more toxic air pollution than permitted in other countries,” research James Whelan told AAO.
“In other countries, these power stations would not be permitted to pollute at this level.”
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