We need your voice now more than ever to ensure that climate is on the agenda. Farmers and rural Australians are some of the most important voices when it comes to securing climate solutions from our leaders. Sign the open letter to send a message that Tasmanians want climate action.
Dear Tasmanian candidates running in the 2022 federal election,
We’re fed up. We’re seeing the impacts of climate change on our farms. Floods, fires and extreme weather are making our work harder than ever. And unless we take strong urgent climate action, this will only get worse. That’s why we are calling on all candidates to make effective climate policies a priority for the next Federal Parliament. We know climate change is one of the greatest challenges we face. We also know acting on climate change can provide enormous opportunities for Tasmania. Now more than ever we need national leadership to realise the opportunities. Farmers are key to Australia’s climate solutions, from clean energy development to carbon abatement in our soils. These will drive new jobs and investments in our communities and regions. We can’t afford to delay. We call on all candidates to adopt the following priorities:
• Deep economy-wide emission cuts this decade to protect Australian farming families from harmful climate change.
• A rapid and orderly transition to renewable energy, led by the communities hosting the developments.
• Support for farmers, who manage 51% of Australia’s land, to play a vital role in sequestering carbon.
• The expansion of programs to enable farmers to capture carbon and increase biodiversity.
• Programs to assist farmers to reduce emissions and phase out fossil fuel use in agriculture.
Together, we can tackle climate change and make our communities stronger in the process. Good luck and we look forward to working with you. Signed.