Over 140 community climate action groups have united at their first national summit in their decision to oppose the Federal Government’s proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), saying that it will fail make the required cuts to greenhouse pollution.

More than 500 people from around the country gathered in Canberra this weekend to produce a national, unified set of objectives for the community campaign of climate action for the crucial year ahead.

“Australia must be part of a global climate change action plan that will reduce carbon concentration in the atmosphere to 300 parts per million (ppm) and keep it there,” said mother and member of Climate Change Balmain Rozelle Jenny Curtis.

In 2009, the united Community Climate Action Groups will campaign to:

• prevent the CPRS from becoming law as it will fail to make emission cuts necessary to stop the climate emergency.
• Build community-wide action to demand green jobs, a just transition for fossil fuel industry workers and 100% renewable energy by 2020.
• Aim for stabilisation at 300ppm CO2 and strong international agreement in line with what science and global justice demands.

Australia’s Climate Action Summit culminates tomorrow morning on the first sitting day of parliament for the year where hundreds of concerned Australians will link hands around Parliament House.

A Press Conference will be held prior to the protest:

When: 8am

Where: Protest Lawn – near the memorial stone – Parliament House

Speakers:
Naomi Hodgson, key summit organiser
Clive Hamilton, Professor of Public Ethics and author of “Scorched: the dirty politics of climate change”, and
Tony McMichael, ANU/IPCC scientist on the social and medical impacts of climate change.

Contact: Louise Morris

Phone: 0408 906 310