The run up to an important climate change meeting in Copenhagen has seen Randwick City Council vote to call on the Australian Government to adopt a higher greenhouse gas reduction target.
The Government is currently proposing a 5% reduction but last night’s Greens motion wanted 25%.
Greens Councillor Murray Matson said today,
"Australia’s present target of just 5% is widely regarded as too small to achieve anything. Other countries are considering much higher targets."
Labor Councillors supported the motion after the Greens agreed to drop a precise reference to 25% in favour of a call for “higher” targets than the government’s present pre-Copenhagen position of 5%.
The Greens were successful in getting the Council to agree to call on the government to adopt a much higher target of 40% if the Copenhagen meeting produces an international consensus that higher targets are need.
Support by Labor for a second Greens motion will see Randwick Councillors marching under an official Randwick City Council banner in the National Climate Emergency Rally planned for June 13th this year.