Bill Shorten claims backing of Al Gore on climate change policy
Stephanie Corsetti
MARK COLVIN: What a difference a year makes.
When Al Gore flew into Australia just over a year ago, it was the coal miner Clive Palmer he chose to appear with at the rostrum.
Now he's back it's the ALP leader Bill Shorten who's spruiking the former US vice president's backing for his plan to tackle climate change.
Mr Gore is here to build support for strong action at the UN climate talks in Paris at the end of the year.
Stephanie Corsetti reports.
STEPHANIE CORSETTI: Al Gore's visit to Australia comes as the Federal Opposition and the Government continue to argue over how to tackle climate change and there are new divisions in the Coalition over wind investment.
Mr Gore was warmly welcomed at the University of Melbourne this afternoon.
AL GORE: (Applause) Thank you. Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen.
STEPHANIE CORSETTI: He was also welcomed by Labor's leader Bill Shorten, who used a meeting with Mr Gore as an opportunity to sell his renewable energy policy.
BILL SHORTEN: We've stepped up to the plate. We've said to Australians that a Labor government will ensure the ambition of by 2030, that we have 50 per cent of our energy derived from renewable energy sources like the rest of the world is also planning to do. The beauty of solar power, and renewable energy more generally, is on one hand it's real action on the climate and it's dealing with climate change, and on the other hand it gives consumers power to help control prices.
STEPHANIE CORSETTI: Today the Prime Minister's dislike for wind farms is under attack not just from the Federal Opposition.
Recently the Government directed the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to stop funding wind farms and rooftop solar projects.
Federal Liberal backbencher Sarah Henderson has asked the Finance Minister to rethink the Government's decision.
SARAH HENDERSON: Renewable energy is a very important issue in Corangamite, many many people have rooftop solar and I think it's very important that if the CEFC is doing this work, investing in emerging technologies, in innovation, in renewable energy that it has the scope to also invest in small scale solar.
STEPHANIE CORSETTI: The Prime Minister Tony Abbott has avoided answering a question about that; instead he attacked Labor's policy. Mr Abbott says Mr Shorten's renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030 is too high.
TONY ABBOTT: One of the truly bizarre decisions coming out of the Labor conference of the weekend was this move to increase the proportion of renewables in our system to some 50 per cent. Now, this constitutes a massive, absolutely massive hit on consumers and on jobs.
STEPHANIE CORSETTI: Mr Gore told a press conference in Melbourne this morning the public dialogue about renewable energy is heading in the right direction, but the perception of Australia is still confusing some nations.
AL GORE: There are many people around the world that think of Australia as a leader in the community of nations. It almost always has been. And some have been frankly scratching their heads of late wondering what has been going on. But what I feel is a process of change here.
STEPHANIE CORSETTI: Mr Gore met with the South Australian, Victorian and Queensland environment ministers in Melbourne today.
Victoria's Environment Minister is Labor's Lisa Neville.
LISA NEVILLE: I suppose if I was to sum up what's happened over the last day, including last night, is an agreement that we have to act, we must act and we will act, and that's certainly the message from the states and territories. And that builds on an agreement including other states that we had in May of this year in South Australia.
STEPHANIE CORSETTI: Today's talks with Mr Gore are all preparation for the United Nations' climate change conference in Paris later this year.
The South Australian Environment Minister Ian Hunter will be visiting France as part of this event.
IAN HUNTER: And we call on the Federal Government to make real meaningful targets for Paris public sooner rather than later.
STEPHANIE CORSETTI: Al Gore again
AL GORE: Nations can take the lead, states can take the lead, the world as a whole is moving forward. I'm just really impressed with what these states in Australia are doing to go in the right direction.
STEPHANIE CORSETTI: Professor David Karoly from the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute was part of a research roundtable discussion with Mr Gore.
He says it comes down to individual cities to make changes.
DAVID KAROLY: But it's also clear that action is need at sub-national levels, so state governments, and also at cities because in practice many of the impacts of climate change are occurring at the regional and city level, that most people are living in cities now not only in Australia but around the world. And so, city actions are really really important in addressing climate change and responding to climate change.
STEPHANIE CORSETTI: A universal climate change agreement will be up for negotiation in Paris this December, to keep global warming below two degrees.
MARK COLVIN: Stephanie Corsetti reporting.
The Federal Opposition leader is boasting that his plan to tackle climate change has the backing of environmental campaigner and former US vice president Al Gore. Mr Gore is in Australia to build support for strong action at the UN climate talks in Paris at the end of the year. Mr Shorten says Mr Gore is impressed with his plan to have half of Australia's electricity come from renewable sources. But the Prime Minister Tony Abbott is stepping up his attack on the Opposition.