Letter to the Editor: The Nationals have given up – but we don’t have to

DEAR News Of The Area,

THE recent decision by the National Party to abandon its commitment to net zero by 2050 has left many in regional Australia questioning what this means for our future.

Net zero simply means balancing the greenhouse gases we produce with those we remove from the atmosphere, ensuring the world we pass on to our kids is liveable and secure.

Here in Cowper, we have already seen what inaction looks like.

Fires, floods and coastal erosion are becoming more frequent and severe.

These repeated disasters are putting direct pressure on families, our physical and mental health, local businesses and our sense of security.

It is hard to ignore that the Nationals’ new stance on energy comes backed by their affiliated Page Research Centre, supported by corporate donors who stand to gain from delaying meaningful climate action.

Not the families, farmers and small business owners who live with its consequences. Cowper can lead a better conversation.

We can focus on solutions that build climate resilience, protect livelihoods and prepare us for the challenges ahead.

Climate action done well is a community effort with responsibility, collaboration and hope.

So, when the Nationals say their plan is ‘cheaper, better and fairer’, we should ask: cheaper for whom? Better for which communities? Fairer how?

They may have given up on net zero, but we shouldn’t give up on our future.

This is our region and our environment, and it is worth working together to protect it.

Regards,
Jake LITTLE,
Port Macquarie.