We Must Break Labor's Faustian Climate Policy

November 10, 2023

Mike Scrafton demonstrates the Faustian bargain that our government is making with their approach to combatting climate change.

Labor focusses on transitioning to become a renewable energy superpower, and at the same time, and in the face of the urgent demands in the IPCCs 2023 report, approves new coal, oil and gas projects to boost fossil fuel production. These steps build short-term prosperity, and so underpin the governments popularity and therefore its re-election prospects, but they keep our carbon emissions far too high. The price to be paid for these, as the planet continues to warm, will be borne by the future well-being of todays youth and their successors.

As Mike Scrafton notes, this transition cannot be left to private capital. We need strong government to lead and manage this. David Pococks Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Equity) Bill would, if enacted, place intergenerational equity at the heart of government decision-making, and specifically ban approval of new fossil fuel projects.

This would create a new paradigm placing robust guardrails on governments climate policy and practice. We must hope this Bill carries majority support: we urgently need this paradigm shift to free todays youth from Labors Faustian bargain.