Media Releases

As climate negotiations open in Copenhagen, civil society organizations around the world issued the following statement strongly criticizing the Danish government for acting in a biased, manipulative and nontransparent manner in its role as President of the Conference of the Parties.

More than two million supporters of Friends of the Earth International worldwide want the United Nations (UN) climate talks talking place from 7 to 18 December to become a milestone towards 'Climate Justice'.

Rally this Saturday: No new coal. No power privatisation. Invest in renewables now. Rally in Sydney this Saturday, 14 November.

National environmental organisation Friends of the Earth today expressed alarm at the impending privatisation of Forestry Plantations Queensland (FQP). Spokesperson for Friends of the Earth Anthony Amis said “for the past decade we have been monitoring the logging activities of Hancock Victorian Plantations (HVP). The Victorian State Government privatised its 105,000 ha plantation resource in 1998. Queensland should learn from Victoria's misadventure so that the same mistakes are not made again”

Environment groups today congratulated the Brumby Government’s decision to legislate for a chain of new River Red Gum National Parks along the Murray, Goulburn and Ovens rivers in northern Victoria.

Friends of the Earth Australia has welcomed the release today by the Australian Greens of their Safe Climate Bill.

In the wake of Victoria’s warmest and driest winter on record, environment groups today called for new building standards to reduce emissions and water use, and to help the state’s homes and families cope with future temperature and price shocks.

Despite the pledge to limit global warming to 2 degrees C, the Major Economies Forum has one arm tied behind its back because rich countries meeting at the G8 this week failed to show leadership by slashing their own emissions first and fastest.

At least 70,000 jobs could be created across England and Wales if councils slashed climate-changing emissions by insulating homes and businesses and fitting green energy to buildings.

This morning, Justice Forrest of the Supreme Court of Victoria set the trial date for the remaining individuals in the Gunns20 case. It is expected to run for four to five weeks, starting in February 2010.

Friends of the Earth has welcomed the unanimous support for a resolution passed overnight in the General Assembly of the United Nations, urging action on the security implications of climate change.

Friends of the Earth has welcomed moves to delay the passage of the government's carbon trading legislation. They say the polluter-friendly legislation was unlikely to cut greenhouse gases in Australia and would lock the country into a high carbon economy. They urged the government to go back to the drawing board and look at new regulation, planning and investments that really drive down greenhouse pollution.

A technical assessment by Monash University engineering lecturer Dr Gavin Mudd reveals that the proposed Olympic Dam mine expansion will make it almost impossible for South Australia to meet its legislated target of a 60% reduction in greenhouse emissions.

The latest climate change findings from scientists were a key topic of discussions at the 50th anniversary meeting of the Antarctic Treaty. Scientific results from the International Polar Year (IPY) about the severe impacts on the Arctic and the Antarctic as a result of climate change were noted by all the governments. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) presented an important report on Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment, a synthesis of the latest climate science from Antarctica.

Peak environment groups Friends of the Earth (FoE) and Environment Victoria have today joined local residents in condemning the Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett’s conditional approval of the desalination plant in Victoria.

Friends of the Earth Australia has called on the Senate to oppose the government's carbon trading legislation released by Minister Wong on March 10. On March 11, community groups around the country mobilsed to oppose this legislation.

Over seventy representatives from forest groups around Australia have met in Canberra, forming the Australian Forest and Climate Alliance (AFCA) and calling for federal leadership on forest protection to mitigate climate change.