Green issues loom large in election

A major focus on climate change in the upcoming federal election has seen proposals from both parties to reduce carbon emissions and address sustainability within Australia.

Labor has proposed a cash for clunkers scheme, where a $2000 rebate would be given to owners of pre-1995 vehicles.

The Victorian Government proposal launched earlier this week offers drivers the option of paying a voluntary fee of up to $80 to bankroll a 20 per cent cut in Victoria's greenhouse gas emission by 2020.

Environmentalist Nick Dallas, author of How to do business in China, Green business basics, Climate change basics, said the cash for clunkers scheme is a good plan and there has been similar theories implemented overseas.

"It depends if it's new money or if it's replacing something else, there's similar schemes in Europe to get old cars off the road and in the end it's all a question of implementation and if the money is diverted from other sources," he said, adding that climate change has taken a backseat from both Labor and Liberal parties. Mr Dallas said sustainability has many dimensions and is not a debate.

"You can have greater population with great sustainability it all depends on how you allocate your resources and the type of lifestyle people lead, it's something very multidimensional and has many aspects to it". However a carbon tax would be more immediate than an emission trading scheme according to Mr Dallas.

"The emission trading scheme is probably the preferred model based on what's going on overseas but if you really want to get something up and going it's quicker to implement a carbon tax," Mr Dallas said.

Greens member of the NSW Greens Marrickville Group and local elected counsellor for Marrickville council, Marika Kontellis, said renewable energy, water conservation, and pollution were all linked under the umbrella of climate change but ultimately are affected by the choices Australians make around sustainable living.

"I think it's incredibly important and I think we have a lot to learn from our early migrants who absolutely come from a background of real sustainable living," Ms Kontellis told Neos Kosmos.

Ms Kontellis said transferring skills from the older to younger generations has to begin early on, quoting an example of her own child's school that has a community vegetable garden, which the grandparents are also involved in.

"My Greek peers are very engaged in community life here, we have three Greeks on council, I think the message would be that Greeks are quite engaged in the political process and I'm seeing a bit of a quiet revolution."

"I'm certainly pleased and quite honoured to represent in our area in Marrickville what I call the 'new Greeks' who are really focused on building a sustainable Australia," she said.