Member for Western Victoria James Purcell is backing a proposed Victorian Climate Change Bill that will set a target of zero net emissions for the state by 2050.
Mr Purcell said he supported the proposed bill because he believed a greater proportion of energy needs should be met by renewable energy.
Getting more energy from renewable sources would also generate more jobs in firms such as Keppel Prince at Portland that made towers for wind turbines, the Vote 1 Local Jobs party leader said.
Mr Purcell said he believed about 50 per cent of energy needs should come from renewable sources with the other 50 per cent likely to be met mainly by gas-fired power stations.
“No more coal-fired power stations are being built and nuclear energy is a hard job,” he said.
Mr Purcell said he expected his support, along with that of Sex Party MP Fiona Pattern and of the five Greens fellow Upper House MPs would get the bill through the Upper House and into law.
Friends of The Earth coordinator Leigh Ewbank welcomed Mr Purcell’s support, saying strengthening the state’s climate laws was an urgent priority after the Climate Change Act was gutted by the previous Coalition government.
"Victorians have been left stranded with impotent climate change laws since 2011 when the Baillieu government gutted the Climate Change Act," Mr Ewbank said.
He said that as well as aiming for net zero emissions by 2050, the bill would require governments to take into account the latest climate science and set interim emissions reduction targets each five years.
The bill will also require governments to develop climate adaptation action plans for sectors of the economy.
Mr Purcell and Mr Ewbank met with Keppel Prince workers on Friday to gather their support for a community campaign in support of the bill.
Mr Ewbank said addressing climate change promised to create thousands of jobs. Climate change had also put the world “in dangerous territory,” he said.
"Unchecked climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, droughts, bushfires, and storms," he said.
Mr Ewbank said the passing of the bill would set the scene for Victorian Renewable Energy Target legislation that was being drafted.
