Greens urge end to coal by 2030, as Turnbull begs AGL for crumbs

The Australian Greens have abandoned efforts to have a carbon price, and instead have favoured an interventionist approach to the energy sector, including mandating the exit of coal generation by 2030, and the banning of petrol cars by the same date.

The policy shift was unveiled by leader Richard di Natale, as the party sought to reposition itself in the wake of disappointing election campaigns, and amid a renewed push by the Far Right to do the exact opposite, and extend the life of coal by at least another half century.

And yet, at the same time, the mining lobby and its new voice in the Coalition, the so-called Monash Forum, is pushing to protect centralised, polluting energy system through its own form of government intervention – a taxpayer-funded coal plant – to keep the industry going another 50 years.

The Greens abandonment of a carbon price will be ironic to many, particularly those who blame it for the death of the Rudd-inspired CPRS in 2010. But that version ignores Labor’s refusal to negotiate with the Greens on its contents.

When Labor had to negotiate with the Greens, in minority government in 2012, together they produced a remarkable policy package. But that package, as we know, was killed by the same right wing Coalition leadership that backed out of its deal on the CPRS, and now wants to protect coal for another generation.

The Greens have now given up on the carbon price idea, at least for now.

“For decades we’ve been told that we should trust the market to decide the most efficient way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by putting a price on carbon,” di Natale said.

“Pricing carbon may well be the most cost-effective way of lowering climate pollution over the long term and we are very proud of our work to negotiate with the Gillard Government on a carbon price.

“But the science tells us we need a rapid transition. We are facing a climate emergency.  We won’t achieve what’s necessary if the price on pollution is too low, vast sectors of the economy are carved out, and we fail to monitor the schemes effectively.

“The prospect of an effective carbon price in the current parliament is almost non-existent and we simply can’t afford to have another two decades of slow progress. Politics has so far failed us and we’ve reached the point where we can’t waste any more time.”

So the Greens proposal is to phase out all coal power stations by 2030, prevent government funding to prop up ageing clunkers like Liddell, and also to nationalise the interconnectors, as well as establish  government energy retailer.

The irony is that this differs from the Coalition government only in its approach to coal. The Coalition has already bought itself a major generator and retailer, Snowy Hydro, and intends to use its funds to build Snowy 2.0.

On the subject of vehicles, it was interesting to note that the Australia car industry is now following the US in pushing back against any move to impose stricter regulations on emissions

The Australian Automobile Association, which represents the likes of NRMA and RAC, is pushing back against moves to improve Australia’s car fleet, which remains without parallel in the developed world as the dirtiest and least efficient, just like its electricity sector.

Chief executive Michael Bradley said any regulation will increase the price of cars, increase the price of petrol, and warned against going “too far.”