Leigh Ewbank's Climate Chronicles

In Australia, several environmental groups have banded together to encourage a new approach to climate action. They’re steering away from incremental approaches, which have largely failed, and instead are promoting a holistic Transition Decade.

Spearheaded by Friends of the Earth, Beyond Zero Emissions, Climate Emergency Network and the Sustainable Living Foundation, the Transition Decade (T10) presents a shared framework for individuals and community groups to develop, then implement initiatives to put Australia on the path of sustainability by 2020.

Hundreds of climate activists are descending on Australia’s Latrobe Valley this weekend with a message for the owner of the most-polluting coal-fired power plant in the industrialized world: Your social license to continue burning brown coal in dinosaurs like the Hazelwood Power Station has been revoked.

The mass rally and civil disobedience to shut down Hazelwood comes as a new analysis finds Australia has passed the U.S. to lead the world in CO2 emissions per capita, courtesy of its heavy reliance on coal.

Under the banner "Switch Off Hazelwood, the protesters will be delivering a “community decommission order” to International Power Australia, says organizer Louise Morris.

Their goal, supported by Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, is to highlight the adverse climate impact of coal-fired power generation and encourage a national shift to renewable energy.

“By switching us off reliance on coal based electricity we can open up the playing field for a suite of renewable energy that have a future in a carbon constrained world, provide more jobs and are ultimately climate friendly,” Morris said.

“We are going backwards here in Australia, and we need a strong and active community-based climate movement to turn us back on track towards safe climate solutions. Coal is the wrong way to go. We know the money, technology and expertise are ready but we are lacking political will and political vision. This action will help to create that political will."

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Australia's Senate passed a renewable energy law today, a few days after opposition and minority parties joined forces to kill the federal government’s carbon-trading plan.

The new law sets a national renewable energy target that requires utilities and other large electricity users to procure 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. It comes with the promise of releasing about $22 billion in stalled investment funds, but it also carries concessions for heavy energy users and big coal, including an amendment declaring coal-seam methane gas a renewable energy source.

While the Greens and climate activists were disappointed in the concessions and had argued for a higher target, most still supported the split-off renewable energy bill.

"The renewable energy target is an important jigsaw piece in the clean energy low carbon solution, it will not only drive investment and innovation in clean energy jobs and industries but also lower costs of achieving longer term carbon pollution reduction goals," said John Connor, CEO of The Climate Institute.

However, he added, "The exemptions for big polluters are regrettable and irresponsible for those industries whose long term viability in Australia depends on the development of clean and renewable energy sources. Not only are they not doing their bit, these big polluters are potentially pushing greater costs on to households and the rest of the economy."

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Lawmakers defeated the Australian Government’s climate change bill in a vote in the Federal Senate, driven by unusual political circumstances and parliamentary rules governing something called "a double dissolution election."

The Rudd government has maintained that it is essential for the nation’s climate bill to be passed before UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen, but its efforts to have the bill passed in time are being thwarted. 

The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) is the centerpiece of the Rudd Government’s climate and energy policy agenda. It seeks to implement a national cap-and-trade scheme with an ‘unconditional’ emissions target of 5% below 2000 levels by 2020. A more ambitious 25% cut will be established if a ‘strong’ global agreement can be reached in Copenhagen this December.

By comparison, the EU has agreed to reduce emissions 20% below 1990 levels by 2020, and will cut them by as much as 30% if other developed countries make comparable efforts. Pending U.S. legislation calls for cuts of 17% below 2005 levels by 2020, and 83% by 2050.

Rudd's centre-left labor government faces opposition in the Senate, where it must win the support of either the conservative Liberal and National parties, or a combination of the Australian Greens and two independent senators to pass the legislation.

But each party has divergent views on national climate policy, and despite recent polling that shows a majority of Australians support the government’s legislation, public opinion has failed to encourage compromise. Australia is the biggest per-capita carbon polluter in the developed world, relying primarily on coal for about 80% of its power generation.

The eventual passage of the bill is further complicated by the possibility of a ‘double dissolution election’. When the Senate rejects a government’s bill on two occasions—which is a much-discussed possibility for the CPRS legislation—a special election is held for all members of parliament in an attempt to break the deadlock.

A double dissolution election would benefit some political parties and would  disadvantage others, and the prospect has increased the hostility between the government, opposition, and minor parties.

While the Rudd Government will struggle to secure the passage of the CPRS, it finds itself in the paradoxical position to benefit significantly if it fails again. Welcome to climate politics, Australian style.