28 January 2020
Drop the spin and get on with it, say farmers as PM heads to Orange
Farmers for Climate Action is calling on Scott Morrison to drop the marketing spin and take some real action on climate change today as he heads to Orange.
Speaking from Orange, Farmers for Climate Action CEO Wendy Cohen said: “The Prime Minister Scott Morrison has a real opportunity during his visit to show that he is serious about tackling climate change beyond stale talking points.
“While the government has finally acknowledged that climate change is exacerbating the hot and dry conditions in NSW, and stressed the need to adapt to worsening conditions, it still has no credible climate policy to deliver the urgent and significant emissions cuts we need.
“While states are doing the heavy lifting with ambitious net zero emissions and renewable energy targets, the Federal Government is still clinging to questionable accounting using Kyoto credits and has no plan to meet our Paris targets.
“The Prime Minister must know that physics doesn’t respond to buzzwords, spin or carry over credits, and nor does the land that farmers depend upon for our livelihoods. We need the government to deliver a plan to transition away from fossil fuels and reduce our emissions—and then put that plan into action.
“The first priority needs to be a fully-funded national strategy for climate change and agriculture, which protects us from food security and economic risks, and takes advantage of the many opportunities that the clean energy transition provides.
“The Federal Government’s failure to address climate change is threatening farmer livelihoods in Orange and other regional areas. It is putting immense strain on regional and rural families, who are increasingly calling out for leadership and action on growing climate risks.
“If the Government is serious about taking care of rural and regional Australia, it absolutely must act on climate change immediately, starting with a national strategy on climate and agriculture.”
Farmers for Climate Action is a movement of farmers, agricultural leaders and rural Australians working to ensure that farmers, who are on the frontlines of climate change, are a key part of its solution.
ENDS
Media contact: Fiona Davis, [email protected], 0434 505 188. Please get in contact to arrange an interview with Wendy Cohen or a local farmer.
