27 July 2015, With the Abbott government stalling Australia’s efforts to tackle global warming, leadership from state governments is needed now more than ever. In 2010, the Victorian government introduced the Victorian Climate Change Act. It is currently considering the future of the state’s climate laws. They are calling for public submissions on the Act by Sunday 2 August. It is getting a bit late but ..… Friends of the Earth is proud to join Environmental Justice Australia, Environment Victoria, and the Australian Conservation Foundation to call on the Andrews government to to adopt world leading climate change laws – the Victorian Climate Charter. The Climate Charter proposal would make Victoria a world leader on climate change. It sets binding emission reductions targets for Victoria, establishes a ‘climate test’ for decisions that affect emissions, and gives citizens the right to take the government to court if it is not meeting its climate obligations. It is critical that Victorians use the Climate Change Act review to demand action, and counter calls from industry to go soft on tackling global warming. Your voice is important! Climate action will only happen if the community demands it. The Climate Change Act review is a great opportunity to do just that. Environmental Justice Australia and Friends of the Earth have joined forces to make it quick and easy for you to have your say. Click below and we’ll send your submission directly to the review committee. Go here to sign. Access Charter here
Tag Archives: Legal Action
22 July 2015, RTCC, Could Australians sue for stronger climate action? Head of Netherlands campaign group Urgenda shares courtroom success story with environmentalists in Brisbane: Marjan Minnesma got a warm welcome in Brisbane this week. Described as a “climate litigation rockstar” by independent journalism site New Matilda, she is the head of Dutch campaign group Urgenda. That NGO, backed by hundreds of citizens, last month won an unprecedented legal victory forcing the Netherlands government to cut greenhouse gas emissions faster. “The verdict brought hope and inspiration to communities around the world,” said Jo-Anne Bragg, principal lawyer at the Queensland branch of Australia’s Environmental Defenders Office. She was introducing Minnesma, who is touring Australia, to greens at a webcast event on Tuesday. They wanted to know: Could Urgenda’s remarkable achievement be replicated on the other side of the world? Read More here
7 July 2015, The Guardian, Bulga residents battling mine expansion hail NSW government planning decision. The NSW planning minister says a proposed amendment would give social and environmental issues equal standing with the economic in decision making. Residents in the New South Wales town of Bulga, which was previously earmarked for relocation due to the expansion of a nearby mine, have seized upon changes to the state’s planning laws as potentially crucial in their battle to prevent the project’s extension. NSW planning minister Rob Stokes has released a proposed amendment to the state’s mining environmental planning policy. The change removes a provision that makes the economic importance of resources “the principal consideration” when determining whether to allow mining projects. Stokes said the draft change would ensure decisions were made with environmental and social, as well as economic, factors in mind. Read More here
24 June 2015, Reuters, Dutch government ordered to speed up greenhouse gas cuts: A district court ordered the Dutch government on Wednesday to cut greenhouse gas emissions faster than currently planned in a rare use of the legal system to curb global warming. A judge in The Hague said the state must “ensure that the Dutch emissions in the year 2020 will be at least 25 percent lower than those in 1990” as the Netherlands’ fair share to avert more heat waves, floods and rising sea levels.
Based on current government policy, the Netherlands will achieve a reduction of 17 percent at most in 2020, which is below a norm of 25-40 percent for developed countries, a summary of the ruling said. The decision was a victory for environmental group Urgenda Foundation, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of nearly 900 Dutch citizens. “The parties agree that the severity and scope of the climate problem make it necessary to take measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” the summary said. Some saw the ruling as a landmark, if it ends up being binding. “This could be the first judicial warning shot to governments around the world,” said Bill Hare, of independent research group Climate Analytics. Read More here