Greens, Labor can agree on emissions or ignore history

Greg Brown (“Greens told, don’t make us a pariah”, 14/7) clearly sets out the dilemma facing the Greens: be true to their platform or take a better-than-nothing approach to Labor’s 2030 emission targets.

I’m reminded of the lost republican referendum in 1999 when republican advocates split over whether a president would be appointed by parliament or elected by the people

Adam Bandt must be careful not to foil Labor’s attempt to legislate moderate emissions targets only to be left with the inadequate targets of the previous government. Former Australian Conservation Foundation president Geoff Cousins is right when he says let’s put the 43 per cent target in the bank, then work towards exceeding this target.

Graeme Lechte, Brunswick West, Vic

Your editorial (“Albanese must reject Greens veto’’, 14/7) repeats the false story that the Australian Greens refused to negotiate with Kevin Rudd over carbon reduction legislation. The fact is that Rudd refused to negotiate with the Greens. After Rudd’s weak deal with the Coalition fell through, his chief negotiator, Penny Wong, flew to Hobart to meet myself and Christine Milne. We put forward improvements to the Coalition deal. However Rudd refused to enter into any negotiations.

Anthony Albanese is now taking the same absolutist, non-negotiable stand. If the US, Britain and the EU are committed to higher targets, what is wrong with the Australian Greens aiming higher? No teal or Australian Green was elected to this parliament with a lesser mandate than any Labor MP. Albanese’s promise to end ‘‘the climate wars’’ will not come from shutting down on the large part of the electorate that voted for greater climate action than he had on offer.

Bob Brown, Cygnet, Tas

The Greens need to accept and applaud the progressive energy policies Labor seeks to legislate into place. In essence it is the environmental policies of the Greens over the past few decades that have slowly educated Australia’s voting public so that the ‘‘coal and gas” Coalition was voted out of office.

The Greens now should drive progressive policy on population, public transport, decentralisation and affordable energy-efficient housing. If Australia were to stabilise its population, our emissions targets will be achieved more easily.

Ken Rubeli, Bandon Grove, NSW

The Greens must be joking to talk of blocking legislation for this government’s emissions. The Greens and their aligned and allied bodies have worked hard for 20 years to block the development of the best of our renewable energy options, biomass – the one that provides most jobs, is lowest cost, produces power on demand and has potential for major carbon sequestration.

Energy from biomass of all forms provides over 60 per cent of renewable energy consumed across the EU, including in Denmark and Germany. Biomass is the largest single source of energy consumed in Sweden and Finland, with bioenergy and sustainable forestry being key to Finland achieving its target of net carbon neutrality by 2035.

Andrew Lang, Lismore, Vic

I applaud the leaders of the Australian Conservation Foundation and Greenpeace for providing voices of reason and accepting Labor’s climate policy. Although anyone who follows climate science understands that 43 per cent emissions reductions by 2030 is not nearly enough to limit warming to 1.5C, Australia does need a reasonable legislated baseline 2030 target as a foundation to provide clear direction for business and industry.

Amy Hiller, Kew, Vic

There is no way to appease the Greens. They raise their demands to the point of destroying our productivity, unity, security and pride in being Australians. The Greens do not deserve a place in our parliament and those who vote for them vote for anarchy, socialism and disorder.

Mary-Anne Higgins, Rose Park, SA

Most of our politicians seem to love fiddling around with low-priority issues like changing the Constitution instead of “taking the hose” to problems such as cost of living, reliable and affordable energy, homelessness, domestic violence, sexual extortion and flood mitigation. Is it possible that the Greens will ever take their heads out of the sand long enough to know what Aussies really need?

B. Denton, Gwandalan, NSW