Who is emitting the most greenhouse gas?

Today Abigail gave notice of a motion calling for the NSW Govt to urgently establish a NSW Energy Transition Authority - on the back of a Greens' motion that passed in May committing to establish one.

Abigail gave notice of the following motion:

(1) That this House notes that, based on 2021-2022 financial year figures:

(a) New South Wales' coal-fired power stations emitted over 42 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, or around 36 per cent of the State’s total greenhouse gas emissions,

(b) noting the recent closure of Liddell power station, Vales Point had the highest emissions intensity of the remaining coal-fired power stations in New South Wales (0.94 tCo2/MWh), followed by Bayswater (0.89 tCo2/MWh), then Eraring (0.88 tCo2/MWh) and finally Mount Piper (0.80),

(c) in terms of energy generation, Bayswater provided 14,861,932 MWh, Eraring 12,011,901, Vales Point 6,728,193 and Mount Piper 5,475,212, and

(d) it is estimated that Bayswater has around 480 employees, Eraring around 460, and Vales Point and Mount Piper each around 250.

(2) That this House acknowledges that:

(a) to move away from our reliance on coal and coal-fired power in an equitable and economically responsible way, we will need a well-managed transition plan driven by workers and communities, not left to the whims of big business,

(b) on 11 May 2023 this House passed a motion committing to the establishment of a New South Wales energy transition authority,

(c) a New South Wales energy transition authority is urgently needed to step in and establish a schedule of coal-fired power station closures that takes into account the needs of the workforce and impacted communities, the amount of energy production and the rate at which demand can be filled with other energy sources and the degree of emissions and other pollution each power station is responsible for, and

(d) as the New South Wales Government is ultimately responsible for the clean up of each of these power station sites, including the minimisation and remediation of harm inflicted to the environment and surrounding communities, it should ensure that the current owners of these power stations contribute to the cost of that clean up.

(3) That this House calls on the Government to urgently establish a New South Wales energy transition authority and provide certainty for workers and industry by taking all steps necessary to mandate scheduled closure dates for the state’s remaining coal-fired power stations.

TAX SUPERPROFITS TO PAY WORKERS MORE

NSW is missing out on tens of billions of dollars. By introducing a progressive coal royalty structure similar to the one in Queensland, we would have raised an extra $20 billion last year.

The NSW Government owns and controls, on behalf of the people of this state, the rights to the minerals and materials that naturally occur in NSW land.

Huge fossil fuel companies are only able to extract and sell these commodities with the consent of the State. It’s time they paid a fair price for that privilege.

The fossil fuel industry has made hundreds of billions of dollars out of their cosy relationship with governments. Granted permission to extract and sell coal, these large multinational fossil fuel corporations pay just over 7% in royalties back to the people of NSW – keeping the rest as mega-profits for themselves. These companies have a track record of taking more than their fair share and leaving communities suffering and stranded with poisoned groundwater, devastated landscapes and a stranded workforce when it suits their business models.

Globally, the hyper-inflation of fossil fuel prices driven by price-gouging opportunism and war profiteering from Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has delivered record windfall profits to these already obscenely wealthy corporations. In the last year, NSW coal exports totaled over $70 billion dollars, but the people of NSW will only see about 7 cents in every dollar, or about $6 billion dollars of that amount.

Rather than going toward schools, hospitals and public infrastructure, billions of dollars went into the pockets of multinational mining corporations. The Greens believe there should be more money for schools and hospitals and less for mining billionaires.

Sign our petition calling on the NSW Labor Government to increase coal royalties to invest in communities.

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Who is emitting the most greenhouse gas?

TAX SUPERPROFITS TO PAY WORKERS MORE

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