THIS PETITION HAS CLOSED

Climate Emergency Declaration and No More Bad Investments in the ACT



To the Parliament of the Australian Capital Territory

We petition you to declare a Climate Emergency, commit to the production of a Climate Emergency Plan and, as a first regulatory step, urgently enact ‘No More Bad Investments’ (NMBI) legislation to ban all new climate damaging projects and processes.

Climate change impacts are already killing people and destroying ecosystems. In its Climate Emergency Declaration, the ACT therefore needs to commit to the goal of providing maximum protection for all people and ecosystems and the full restoration of a pre-warming safe climate. To direct action effectively the ACT Climate Emergency Plan must address how to rapidly and equitably mobilise resources, transform the economy to zero emissions, contribute to the drawdown of all the excess carbon dioxide in the air, and encourage all other governments to take similar actions.

No More Bad Investments (NMBI) legislation will stop new climate-damaging projects and processes. Bans should apply immediately in cases where safe alternatives are already available. In other cases, such as in the areas of transport, building materials, and agriculture, bans should apply after solutions are developed.

NMBI legislation will ensure the ACT remains free of fossil fuel exploration, extraction and processing by explicitly banning new coal, oil, and gas projects. Bans on the reticulation of gas to new areas and buildings, and on the installation of new gas appliances in existing buildings, will prevent locking in avoidable emissions from continued use of fossil gas now that electricity in the ACT is close to net-zero emissions.

Through the earliest possible enactment of a Climate Emergency Declaration, a Climate Emergency Plan, and NMBI legislation, the ACT will continue to provide hope in an otherwise frightening situation and be a powerful role model that will accelerate the adoption of Climate Emergency legislation across Australia and internationally.

Supporting groups

Australian Forests and Climate Alliance (http://www.forestsandclimate.org.au/)
CACE – Community Action in the Climate Emergency (http://www.caceonline.org)
CORENA – Citizens Own Renewable Energy Network Australia (https://corenafund.org.au/)
Environmental Justice Australia (http://www.envirojustice.org.au/)

See the States Can analysis for talking points about state/territory bans on new fossil fuel projects.

This petition to the ACT parliament reflects its dual role of territory and local government. Climate Emergency Declarations at the local government level are taking off globally, and we think the ACT might join the numerous local councils in Australia, the US, and the UK who have already declared a Climate Emergency. But the ACT is also a territory government, so we’d also like to see it enact No More Bad Investments (NMBI) legislation to set a precedent for other states and the NT to follow.

Model ‘No More Bad Investments’ legislation drafted by Environmental Justice Australia and Philip Sutton can be downloaded here.

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All-electric vs gas+electric homes

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