SYDNEY, 10 August, 2018:  The National Energy Guarantee (NEG) is unlikely to be endorsed by state ministers today because it is utterly fails as a climate change policy, and would devastate the flourishing renewable energy sector, 350.org Australia said today.

“The federal government has failed to convince the Australian community that it is taking climate change seriously, and tens of thousands of people contacted their state Energy Ministers encouraging them to refuse to support the NEG until it deals with climate adequately,” said Glen Klatovsky, deputy CEO of 350.org Australia.

State and Federal energy ministers meet today in Sydney to discuss the NEG. Dozens of people gathered to protest outside the building where the meeting would happen this morning

“We live in a nation which has no policy on climate change. Australia was just ranked last on our efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goal on climate policy. Analysis of the NEG demonstrates that there will be no major renewable energy projects beyond 2020.”

“The Australian Government is desperately begging for a deal on their NEG, the only attempt they have made at an energy policy since former PM Tony Abbott dismantled the effective Clean Energy system. However, they have fundamentally failed to demonstrate how the NEG would address climate change, and until they do, the policy should be, and is likely to be, rejected at today’s COAG Energy Ministers meeting.”  

“It is clear that a government unwilling to stand up to the climate deniers in their own ranks is incapable of delivering effective policy on climate change,” said Klatovsky.

“The Victorian Government put forward sensible requirements for the NEG to be supported which would make the NEG a genuine climate change policy. Unless these are implemented the NEG should be discarded.”

For interview Glen Klatovsky 0410 482 243

For media assistance Lou Fraser 0438 993 068