24 February, 2017
NSW under pressure to strengthen clean energy targets after Victoria passes Climate Change Act
NSW has slipped further behind in the race to a renewable energy future after the Victorian Parliament yesterday strengthened its Climate Change Act, committing the government to making the state carbon neutral by 2050. [1]
Amendments to the Victorian Climate Change Act:
- Establish a binding target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050;
- Require interim emissions targets be met every five years from 2020;
- Improve accountability and transparency on steps being made to cut emissions; and
- Make all government bodies consider climate change impacts and emissions reductions in all decisions and policies.
“NSW sources only 4 per cent of its power from wind and solar and is being left behind in the race to a clean energy future,” Nature Conservation Council Senior Energy and Climate Campaigner Dr Brad Smith said.
“The NSW Government’s climate change policy only aspires to achieve zero net emissions by 2050, but without legislation or interim targets that promise is just hot air.
“It’s time to strengthen NSW’s climate policy by making the target legally binding, and requiring the government to reach key milestones every five years.”
The Nature Conservation Council is calling on the Berejiklian government to be more ambitious than Victoria by:
- Setting enforceable targets to source 40% of NSW’s electricity from renewables by 2025 and 100% by 2030;
- Developing a plan for a quick and orderly phase-out of coal-fired power stations that is fair to power-station workers;
- Creating incentives for the development of storage technologies, including batteries and pumped hydro.
According to the International Energy Agency, developed countries must phase out coal-fired power by 2035 to limit climate change to less than 2 degrees.
“We can’t afford to delay decisive action to prevent dangerous climate change any further,” Dr Smith said.
“Extreme weather like this summer’s heatwaves are making life harder for people and native wildlife across the state. The government needs to develop a clean energy transition plan as a matter of urgency with input from all the key stakeholders, including workers in the energy sector.”
REFERENCES
List of current bills: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/static/www.legislation.vic.gov.au-bills.html
PDF of bill as passed: http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubPDocs.nsf/ee665e366dcb6cb0ca256da400837f6b/7BD94EEFDEE4690DCA258073007E0980/$FILE/581271bs1.pdf
PDF of explanatory memorandum:
http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubPDocs.nsf/ee665e366dcb6cb0ca256da400837f6b/7BD94EEFDEE4690DCA258073007E0980/$FILE/581271exi1.pdf
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Climate and energy
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