LOCK the Gate Alliance has welcomed a new policy on climate change released by the EPA today but says it doesn't go far enough.
The policy requires offsetting on direct emissions from industries but in terms of fracking will miss the bulk of the emissions, those that come from burning and processing the gas.
A spokesperson for the Lock the Gate in WA Jane Hammond said the policy would miss the major impact of fracking and other fossil fuel developments in WA, but was a small step forward.
“The climate impact of allowing fracking in WA will still have a major global impact,” Ms Hammond said.
“Leaving the gas in the ground and moving to renewable energy and battery storage would be a much better idea and would do far more to slow down WA’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that the world has just 12 years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C to avoid unstoppable climate catastrophe.
“Fifty of our top scientists including WA Scientist of the year Professor Peter Newman have already warned the WA Government that allowing fracking in this state would be “grossly irresponsible” given the current climate situation.
“Around the world the justice system is starting to take note of the real climate impact of fracking and other forms of new fossil fuel developments. The High Court in the UK has just ruled that guidelines for fracking in the UK could be unlawful in part because they failed to take into account scientific evidence of the global climate impact of fracking.
“It appears that the EPA’s new guidelines have missed a key opportunity to protect our land, water, health and climate stability by ignoring the downstream carbon footprint of processing and burning the oil and gas from this brand-new fossil fuel industry.”