Greens aim to block new coal and gas projects if they hold balance of power

The Greens will demand Labor block any new coal or gas projects if they hold the balance of power in the event of a hung parliament, the leader of the minor party revealed on Monday.

Adam Bandt will reveal the policy in the electorate of Sydney, currently held by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, making the point that he holds her personally responsible for the approval of more than 30 new coal and gas projects since 2022.

The Greens are basing their new policy on a Parliamentary Library analysis to claim Climate Minister Chris Bowen could block new projects under existing laws.

The minor party argues the new legal analysis proves that the climate minister already has the power to block all projects through the Safeguard Mechanism due to earlier Greens amendments.

The Safeguard Mechanism is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s largest industrial facilities, and during negotiations for the 2023 legislation, the Greens introduced a hard cap on the amount of climate pollution permitted under the scheme.

They point out that this gives the environment minister wide-ranging powers over new coal and gas projects.

The Greens say the use of these latent powers remove any need for new legislation to pass the Parliament, and also deal with any objections from the environment minister that climate-destroying projects can still proceed.

“If you want climate action, you have to vote for it, because it’s clear Labor won’t act on climate unless pushed,” said Mr Bandt.

The proposal has the potential to impact controversial plans like the North West Shelf gas project that face strong objections on environmental grounds.

If Labor falls short of the 76 seats needed to govern in majority, it will depend on the crossbench, including the Greens, to form government.

The Greens will seek these powers be exercised so that the permissible pollution from new mines is set at zero and the new mines are unable to purchase offsets for any pollution above that level.

“In the middle of a climate crisis, Tanya Plibersek has approved new coal mines that will release 2.5 billion tonnes of climate pollution. If the Environment Minister won’t act, the Greens will get the Climate Minister to do it,” he added.

“The Greens gave the Climate Minister the power to stop new coal and gas mines with the stroke of a pen, and with more Greens in minority Parliament we’ll get him to use it.”

The Greens’ latest policy builds on earlier demands it intends to make if it Labor is forced to negotiate in the event of a hung parliament or minority government.

Earlier in April, Mr Bandt made an election pitch to reform negative gearing and end capital gains tax discounts on investment properties.

“This election, the Greens are the party of renters and first home buyers,” he said at an event at the National Press Club, also spruiking the party’s key pledges to add dental treatment to Medicare, end native forest logging and provide free, universal, high quality childcare.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens deputy leader, said the party was committed to addressing the electorate’s fears over the climate crisis.

“The impacts of the climate crisis are here, people are being devastated and traumatised again and again by climate-driven disasters,” she said.

“The science is clear: tackling the climate crisis means no new coal and gas. With more Greens in parliament, we will get Labor to act so we can power past coal and gas.”