<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/05/australia-urged-not-to-rely-on-drug-dealers-defence-for-gas-exports-and-help-wean-japan-off-fossil-fuels>
"The Albanese government should do more to leverage its relationship with Japan
– arguably the world’s most important energy partnership – to help its trading
partner move away from gas and towards a rapid and ambitious decarbonisation,
former diplomats say.
Diplomats for Climate, an organisation supported by more than 100 former
Australian officials, says “the future of gas lies in the ground” but that a
ban on new fossil fuel developments – the focus of a growing community campaign
that argues that is what the scientific evidence demands – would not cut global
emissions unless international demand was reduced.
Australia is one of the world’s three biggest fossil fuel exporters but the
ex-diplomats say its coal and gas exports meet only about 4.8% and 2.8% of
global demand respectively. They say Australia’s supply would likely be
replaced by other exporting countries if it simply stopped.
In a submission to the government on the future of the gas industry before the
Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, Diplomats for Climate said it placed an onus on
Australia to leverage “its strong reputation and history as a reliable energy
supplier” to encourage its trading partners to quickly cut reliance on fossil
fuels. That meant not merely relying on the “drug dealer’s defence” – arguing
that if Australia did not sell a harmful product, someone else would.
“Diplomats for Climate wants to see rapid and dramatic decreases in fossil fuel
production, but this will only reduce global emissions if driven by rapid and
dramatic reductions in demand,” the group’s executive director, Janaline Oh,
said.
“If the government wants to use the drug dealer’s defence it needs to be the
dealer who takes their clients to rehab and supports them off their habit.”
The argument is particularly focused on Australia’s relationship with Japan,
which gets about 40% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Australia and has
been vocal about its concerns that Albanese government policies could affect
new gas developments."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
