Plan B: an agenda for immediate climate action

The federal government\u27s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme needs to go back the the drawing board according to a coalition of green groups. In the meantime, here\u27s a plan for implementing immediate solutions that will reduce emissions and create jobs.   This document presents a ‘Plan B’; an alternative to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, outlining measures that could be enacted in the next two years and would set Australia up to meet the vital target of halving our greenhouse pollution over the coming decade. The environment groups behind Plan B are concerned that action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been hamstrung by the political debate around the CPRS at the expense of simpler and effective measures that should be enacted as soon as possible. Each and every one of the measures outlined in Plan B will either deliver immediate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, enable Australia to make deep cuts in emissions over the next decade, or both. The overall package of Plan B is jobs-positive, creating tens of thousands of green jobs and stimulating clean industry development. Many of these measures will also protect Australians on the front line of climate change, strengthening their resilience to climate impacts. Australia’s governments should urgently enact the measures outlined in Plan B, regardless of the future that awaits the CPRS. There is no time to wait for an effective policy for pricing greenhouse pollution and genuinely cutting emissions. If that policy arrives it will be welcome, as it would be one of the ways a transition to a low-carbon future would be funded. However we must act now, act together and act whole-heartedly to prepare Australia for rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.     The main points from the report: 1. Prioritise saving energy.2. Fast-track the switch to a renewable energy economy3. Drive the shift to low emissions vehicles and sustainable cities4. Protect our forests and woodlands as a carbon store and make agriculture a part of the solution 5. Grow the green job economy   &nbsp