Thank you for joining us in speaking out for creation and climate justice.
We are deeply concerned by the Government's recent extension of the North West Shelf gas project until 2070.
Common Grace, alongside environmental organisations from across the country, and our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters, have been calling on the Albanese Government to prioritise bold, reliable and credible climate action that ensures Australia reaches our commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 and plays our part in limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
This step taken by the Albanese Government to approve and extend one of Australia’s major fossil fuel projects undermines these commitments.
This decision also has significant implications for Australia’s climate obligations and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of the affected lands and waters.
Common Grace has sent a letter to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy of Australia, Chris Bowen MP, to express our strong concern and call on the government take bold and principled leadership to end support for fossil fuel expansion projects, including gas; uphold the sovereignty and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; and prioritise investment in renewable energy and just transitions for affected workers and communities.
Please join us in writing to your federal representative on this urgent issue. We have developed a template letter for you to send and join your voices in calling for action below.
We encourage you to use this template letter to send to/email your Federal Labor MP or Labor Senator.
Dear [MP or SENATOR NAME]
I am writing to you as a member of Common Grace, a movement of tens of thousands of Australian Christians who are committed to faithful action to address climate change and domestic and family violence, and to pursuing justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people seeking asylum.
I am so encouraged by the ways Australia has lifted our climate ambition and boosted our transition to clean energy in recent years. The strengthening of the safeguard mechanism and renewed commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 are significant steps forward.
[You might like to include a note here about your hopes for a re-elected Labor Government. E.g. Like many, I celebrated Labor’s re-election with a deep hope that these efforts would be accelerated, and that Australia would respond to the challenges of the climate crisis with the urgency that it demands. But this hope has now been shaken.]
However, I am deeply concerned by recent developments surrounding the extension of operations at the North West Shelf gas project, which has significant implications for Australia’s climate obligations and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of the affected lands and waters.
The Government has committed Australia to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and to playing our part in limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. Approving and extending major fossil fuel projects like the North West Shelf - one of Australia’s largest gas developments - undermines these commitments.
According to the Climate Council, the North West Shelf gas project would unleash 4 billion tonnes of climate pollution over its lifetime. This would not only wipe out the gains that we are making on cutting climate pollution elsewhere (for example, across electricity, transport, buildings and industry) but it seriously damages our credibility as a global player on climate action.
I am also concerned by ongoing reports that Traditional Owners have not been properly consulted or have been excluded from decision-making processes. This is particularly concerning given the sacred significance of the Burrup Peninsula (Murujaga) and surrounding areas, and the Government’s responsibility to uphold Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) under international human rights standards.
The choices we make today will echo for generations. I urge you to use your term in Parliament to end government support for fossil fuel expansion projects, including gas; uphold the sovereignty and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; and prioritise investment in renewable energy and just transitions for affected workers and communities.
I pray for wisdom and courage for you, and all of our leaders, as you consider these complex and weighty policy decisions.
I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or your staff to discuss these matters further and to work together to ensure a safe, free and flourishing future for everyone.
Yours faithfully,
[YOUR NAME]
[ YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR POSTCODE]
[YOUR PHONE NUMBER]
Find details for your Federal Labor MP here or Labor Senator here.
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