2 October 2009

Greenfleet submission to Victorian Climate Change Green Paper

The Victorian Government should be recognised for its leadership in developing and implementing policies that address actions to reduce the impacts of climate change for many years. That said, we believe that there are further opportunities to:

• Engage the community to take action to reduce emissions
• Show leadership to the business and community sectors in the choices the government makes across its own business
• Stimulate innovation and the development of emerging industries, and
• Assist communities and organisations that are the most dramatically impacted by climate change.

These opportunities compliment the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and will assist in Australia not only meeting, but surpassing its emission reduction targets, at the same time positioning Victoria as a leader in a carbon constrained economy.

In summary, our recommendations are:

1. Recognise that every job is potentially a green job to drive innovation across Victorian industry.
2. Advocate voluntary action
3. Set heroic targets that engage the community to reduce Victoria's emissions
4. Reduce transport emission by 10% by teaching people how to drive efficiently in the car they have today.
5. Increase the density of existing housing and position new housing at transport hubs.
6. Promote modal shift by increasing the frequency of existing public transport, particularly rail by upgrading signaling.
7. Promote low emission vehicles by differential registration based on rated CO₂-e grams per km travelled.  Advocate Australia adopting emissions intensity minimum targets for new vehicles similar to those adopted in Europe.
8. Show leadership by championing the behaviour the Victorian Government expects of others.
9. Cease logging of any old growth or remnant native vegetation.

Read Greenfleet's Response to the Victorian Climate Change Green Paper. (219KB)