It’s up to us!

Any cut is better than nothing… but only if we achieve it.

Now we know the worst, an emissions target of five percent, we must now focus on the fact that it is a target. It doesn’t matter what the figure is if we do not achieve it.

The immediate priority is to equip people and business with ways to reach the target. There is too much emphasis on theoretical targets and too little emphasis on practical actions.

Results from research have been consistent: people are concerned about climate change but they lack information on simple, easy ways to tackle it.

The five percent target is a start, a baseline, a beginning. It should be the starting pistol for individuals and organisations to race to do better, to aspire to beat the target. That assumes that they can get the information on how to do so.

To tackle this education vacuum Planet Ark has invited business stakeholders to join a coalition to quickly educate the community on the many ways in which they can adapt to a carbon constrained world. We are proposing they use their myriad relationships with staff and customers to provide easy, simple and cost efficient convenient solutions to carbon emissions in the workplace and home.

We have a "perfect storm" – a crisis and an opportunity: The intergenerational challenge of climate change combined with the current economic slowdown. Australians are clearly concerned about climate change and more recently about money and employment in these uncertain economic times.

These need not be mutually exclusive. They want to spend less and conserve their resources. So it should be welcome news that many of the ways in which we can tackle carbon emissions around the workplace and home save money.

The beauty is that is doesn’t matter what people’s motivation for reducing their emissions are! If it is to save money rather than the environment, so be it. The planet will not differentiate.

But let’s not defer action while we debate the figure. A cut in emissions is a cut. Any cut is better than nothing… but only if we achieve it.

While governments play climate change poker over emission levels it is time for the people and businesses of Australia to save the country’s reputation by setting their own personal targets and leading by example.

Get started today, visit http://planetark.org/

(This letter originally appeared on the Letters page of the Adelaide Advertiser on 19/12/08)

Sean Barrett, CEO Planet Ark