Background/context:

Australia has a legislated target to cut emissions by 43% (from 2005 levels) by 2030. The Federal Government was expected to set an emissions reduction target for 2035 by February 2025. However, Labor has delayed this announcement until after the election.

Despite our targets, Australia’s laws still work in favour of approving new fossil fuels. Without the new Nature Positive Act being legislated, the existing EPBC Act is too weak to stop new harmful coal and gas projects. 

The Federal Government’s annual Resource & Energy Major Projects (2024) shows that 20 new coal and gas projects are committed to proceed in the future. Fossil fuel subsidies increased by 31% to $14.5 billion, and seven new coal mine projects were approved between 2023 and 2024. One of the most contested fossil fuel projects is the Scarborough gas project, with Woodside having completed the installation of a 433 km trunkline in 2024, and set to begin producing and delivering gas in 2026. The full project will emit nearly 1.4 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases over its lifetime - this is three times Australia’s current annual emissions. 

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) initiated legal action against Woodside Energy's Scarborough Gas Project, aiming to halt the project due to concerns about its potential climate impacts on the Great Barrier Reef. However, in August 2024, the ACF agreed to withdraw its legal challenge and noted this challenge faced significant legal hurdles due to the gaps in legislation. There is therefore an urgent need for laws that consider the climate damage of fossil fuel projects and reject climate-wrecking mines.

Why is this important?

• The IPCC Climate Report has signalled a “code red for humanity”. We have very little time to change our current trajectory before the world is locked into catastrophic climate change.
• We’re experiencing the effects already: our new ‘supercharged climate’ resulted in devastating bushfires in 2019 and floods in 2022, which destroyed entire communities in Queensland and New South Wales and Victoria.
• New coal and gas projects will erase any gains made as a result of Labor’s climate policies.
• By approving and funding new fossil fuel projects, the federal government is actively working against the climate solution we urgently need.
• The 2030 emissions reduction target (43% below 2005 levels) is not ambitious enough to align with the 1.5°C pathway. Therefore, we need more ambitious targets for 2035.

Who to contact: 

• Your local Federal MP (check on this website if you’re unsure who that is)
• Key Federal Ministers: including Environment Minister Murray Watt; Prime Minister Anthony Albanese; Treasurer Jim Chalmers; and Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen 
• Federal Crossbenchers, including Greens, David Pocock (ACT independent), Jacqui Lambie and Tammy Tyrell (JLN) who hold the balance of power in the Senate

Desired outcomes:

• For the Labor Government to legislate bold emissions reduction targets for 2035
• A ban on all new gas and coal projects

Resources:

• Email example below and General email template here to write your own from scratch
• Guidelines and tips for writing emails

Action you can take:

1. Email your MP and/or relevant Ministers:

If you need some help getting started with your email, here is an example. 

Please don’t copy it exactly - personalise it and tailor it to the MP you are writing to. 

In addition, when writing to a Minister or Shadow Minister, start by saying that you’re writing to them in their role as Minister for xxxx, otherwise they will probably just forward your email to your local MP.

[MP name]

[Member for …. or  Minister for ….]

Dear …

[personal statement - who you are and why you care]

I am writing to ask you and your government to cancel all upcoming fossil fuel exploration, phase out coal and gas, and set an ambitious emissions reduction target for 2035. .

The most recent IPCC report made it clear that we have very little time left to tackle climate change. To have any hope of keeping warming to 1.5C, the world must quickly transition away from fossil fuels.

Despite this, your government has already refused to ban new fossil fuel projects, and has pledged support for ultra-polluting projects such as Scarborough that will negate any gains made as a result of climate policy.

The results of the federal election were clear – Australians want strong action on climate change.  Our new government was elected to do much better.  So, I am contacting you to ask:

Will you pledge to cancel all new fossil fuel exploration and production?

Will you support the introduction of ambitious emissions reduction targets for 2035?

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Name

Address

Phone

(Note: your contact details are required if you want a reply)

Hi, my name is ….. and I’m a voter in [your electorate].

I’d like to speak to …..[name of MP]

(Staffer will probably say: I’m sorry they’re not available, can I take a message?)

Yes, thank you! Would you please pass on my message and tell them I’m worried about….

[use 2-3 points from the briefing or email example]

And ask them to ….

[use 2-3 points from the briefing or email example]

Thank you!

Global warming

Prior to the industrial revolution, the climate was relatively stable over long periods with gradual changes in temperature over thousands of years due to natural factors like changes in Earth’s orbit, volcanic activity, and solar radiation. However, since the late 19th Century, human activities - especially the burning of fossil fuels and large-scale deforestation - have released huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. As a result, in 2024, Earth was about 1.47°C warmer than before the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century, a rate of warming so rapid it outstrips every other warming period in the planet’s history.