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AAP
AAP
Politics
Fraser Barton

Greens to introduce climate target bill for Queensland

Current climate targets do not comply with Paris Agreement objectives, says Greens' Michael Berkman. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Laws proposed by the Queensland Greens to "ditch Scott Morrison's climate targets" will be introduced to state parliament this week to legislate a 75 per cent emissions reduction target over the next seven years.

The Greens are also moving to ban all new coal, oil and gas projects in Queensland and wind down the fossil fuel industry to meet Australia's Paris Agreement obligations.

Greens MP Michael Berkman says voters showed their cards at last year's federal election, yet state Labor's policies are almost the same as the former Australian government.

"Queensland is both a major contributor to the climate crisis and on the frontlines of some of its worst impacts, so we have a responsibility to seriously cut emissions in the coming decade," he said in a statement.

"Labor's increased ambition to expand renewable energy is great, but piling renewables on top of fossil fuels doesn't reduce emissions.

"Accepting the climate science means getting out of fossil fuels completely, which is why our bill will also ban new coal and gas approvals and phase out fossil fuel exports by 2030.

"Our bill would require the state government to work with stakeholders on a clear resource industry transition plan that replaces coal and gas production with guaranteed new jobs."

The former federal government's emissions reduction targets were 26 to 28 per cent by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Queensland's current targets are a 30 per cent reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050, even with an enormous financial commitment to renewable energy projects slated over the next decade.

The Greens say these targets do not comply with Paris Agreement objectives to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as shown by independent modelling.

"Labor's targets are based on politics, but these are based on science," Mr Berkman said.

"A year on from the floods, people in my electorate are still picking up the pieces yet Labor seems to have forgotten them.

"The government's current policy would mean more devastating floods, fires and heatwaves, higher grocery prices, skyrocketing insurance premiums and sudden job losses."

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