Scotty From Marketing Meeting Climate Collapse Head-On By Cutting Funding 35% Over 4 Yrs [View all]

[hatrack]

On the climate crisis and the natural environment, the story of the 2022-23 budget is one of what isn’t there as much as what is. Armed with scientific warnings about the need for all countries to rapidly scale up action to keep alive the chance of limiting global heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, the Morrison government expects to reduce annual climate spending year-on-year in the next term if returned to power. The 2022-23 budget papers show that based on current commitments it is forecast to fall from $2bn next financial year to $1.9bn, $1.5bn and $1.3bn in the three years that follow. The fall represents a 35% annual cut in spending over four years.

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The annual totals include funding to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena), the “direct action” emissions reduction fund, programs to develop a “clean” hydrogen industry and resilience programs to protect the Great Barrier Reef, which is currently suffering through its fourth mass bleaching event in six years.

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Taylor says the budget includes $1.3bn of spending on energy and emissions reduction, not all of it to be spent over the next four years. It focuses on hydrogen and includes projects that will add to the greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. There is $300m to support new liquefied natural gas and “clean” hydrogen production in Darwin, another $247m to help companies investing in low-emissions technologies including hydrogen and $50.3m for gas infrastructure.

The latter was announced by Taylor earlier this month as part of the Coalition’s promised “gas-fired recovery”. Oddly, given the government’s zeal for gas as an energy source, it did not rate a mention in Josh Frydenberg’s budget speech.

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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/29/australia-federal-budget-2022-climate-environment-morrison-government-coalition-great-barrier-reef-angus-taylor