Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam has urged the Chamber of Minerals and Energy to wake up to the imminent effects of climate change, and stop jeopardising the economic viability of their industry, as well as our future, at a Public Hearing Joint Standing Committee on Treaties into the Kyoto Protocol this morning.

“Its obvious to everyone that the ridiculously low 5 percent emissions target outlined Monday’s white paper will need to be revised. What will the mining industry do when it finds itself unprepared to operate within a carbon constrained global economy?” said Greens Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam.

“The mining sector in Western Australia is completely unprepared for the challenges of climate change. Instead of acting now to sharply reduce their greenhouse emissions they are still demanding government delay on delivering more realistic emissions targets.”

 “We heard evidence this morning from the most powerful lobby group in the country that the mining industry is completely unwilling to take responsibility for rising gas emissions in the sector.”

“The committee heard claims from the mining sector that renewable energy technologies were not viable, and that if the government did not weaken its ETS further the companies were threatening to move their operations offshore. Neither of these claims are credible and the committee was given no evidence to back them up.”

“It is time for the Western Australian mining sector to wake up to the reality that their business model is unsustainable in every sense. They should be tackling climate change head on and investing in the future by moving to renewable energy and energy efficiency,” concluded Senator Scott Ludlam.

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