ACRS science-based policy plan for the Great Barrier Reef – Discussion: Advancing Climate Action in Queensland
The ACRS strongly supports the following proposed actions:
• A commitment to more ambitious targets to reduce Queensland’s greenhouse gas emissions.
• A transition to a clean-energy, low-carbon economy, with the long-term aim of 100% renewable energy by
2050.
• To be the second Australian state to sign the ‘Under 2 MOU,’ put forward by the subnational global
climate leadership memorandum of understanding.
• Given the inevitability of future climate-related impacts to the Great Barrier Reef, we support the
innovation and additional funding required for improving water quality. We also urge a complete stop
to port expansions, and a ban on capital and maintenance dredge dumping. Each of these acts will
increase the resilience of the reef to future climatic disturbances.
Furthermore, we propose the following additional actions:
• We emphasise that by extracting and exporting fossil fuels to be burnt elsewhere, Queensland must take
responsibility for climate-inflicted damage to its coral reefs.
