Coal miners call for emissions target


Posted Sun Jul 29, 2007 9:17am AEST Updated Sun Jul 29, 2007 1:56pm AEST

The CFMEU says mining jobs depend on cleaning up the coal industry [File photo]. (AAP)
Video: Unions critical of Govt climate change action (ABC News)
The coal miners' union denies it is just trying to get Labor leader Kevin Rudd elected by launching a new ad campaign targeting the Federal Government's record on climate change.
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) is today launching a million-dollar advertising campaign attacking Prime Minister John Howard's stance.
This month Mr Howard announced he would spend over $600 million on measures to tackle global warming, including establishing a comprehensive "cap and trade" emissions trading scheme.
But the Federal Government says it will not set a target for emissions until after the election.
CFMEU mining division president Tony Maher has told Channel 10 mining jobs depend on cleaning up the coal industry.
"Importantly, we need a clean energy target, a target that guarantees a market share for all of the technologies that can produce a low emissions future," he said.
"That's what's missing from the debate at the moment.
"The Federal Government is proposing an emissions trading scheme but they won't tell us what it's going to look like until after the election."
Tags: business-economics-and-finance, industry, mining, environment, climate-change, government-and-politics, federal-government , unions, coal, australia