Students rally against gas outside schools on Friday

A DEMONSTRATION against gas and the Australian Government’s Low Emissions Technology Statement will be held by school students across northern Illawarra this Friday (September 25) .

The ‘Fund Our Future Not Gas’ day is organised by the School Strike 4 Climate network, as well as First Nations communities and unions in response to the federal government plan “to give billions of Covid-19 recovery funds into gas”.

The Federal Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor has released the Government’s first Low Emissions Technology Statement, setting out Australia’s energy priorities as it seeks to bring down carbon emissions over the next 30 years.

More than 140 technologies including hydrogen, renewables, biofuels and carbon capture and storage are given consideration in the Statement, as is natural gas energy.

The release of the Statement is the first in Australia’s Technology Investment Roadmap.

“The Government’s plan has three key focuses – lower emissions, lower costs and more jobs,” Minister Taylor said.

“Getting the technologies of the future right will support 130,000 jobs by 2030, and avoid in the order of 250 million tonnes of emissions in Australia by 2040.

“If these technologies achieve widespread deployment globally, they will significantly reduce emissions from energy, transport, agriculture and heavy industry. These sectors account for 90 per cent of global emissions and emit 45 billion tonnes each year.

“The Government expects to invest more than $18 billion in low emissions technologies over the decade to 2030, in order to drive at least $50 billion of new investment over the next 10 years.”

The Government’s road map has been highly criticised by environmentalists and green groups, who say the future should be in renewables, such as solar and wind.

Amy Lushwitz from Extinction Rebellion, Northern Illawarra, said a number of morning anti-gas demonstrations have been organised across the northern Illawarra for Friday.

A protest will be held outside Scarborough and Coledale Public Schools from 8.30am. There will also be a demonstration on the beach reserve at Austinmer from 8.30am, and at WF Jackson Park, Thirroul from 10am.

Other demonstrations will be held at Thirroul Beach Reserve from 9am and outside Bulli Public School from 8.30am.

“We want the government to invest in a renewable future. Scientists, economists and the energy sector all agree that gas is a dying industry,” she said.

The Government’s Low Emissions Technology Statement is available on the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources website: http://industry.gov.au/LETS2020

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