Climate plan is 'election year greenwash'

17 July 2007

Mr Howard today announced spending of $627 million for measures to tackle global warming, including $336 million for "green vouchers" for schools.

Details of how the remainder will be spent have not yet been released.

"The PM's climate change fund appears to be more election-time greenwash," Greenpeace energy campaigner Catherine Fitzpatrick said today.

"The $637 million is, in fact, a drop in the ocean when compared with recent announcements by State and Federal Governments for investment into unproven so-called clean coal technologies that allow polluters to continue with business-as-usual coal use and production," she said.

Mr Howard today will also announce further details of a national trading scheme for greenhouse gas emissions expected to begin in 2011.

"Any suggestion by John Howard to start a stand alone Australian based trading scheme is just a delay tactic to appease the big coal polluters," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

She called for a 30 per cent emissions reduction target by 2020 and an increased renewable energy target.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22088428-5005961,00.html