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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 6 Hansard (18 June) . . Page.. 2050 ..

MS TUCKER

We've all seen letters in the Canberra Times or heard callers on talkback radio showing a reaction against changes towards sustainability-where individuals will claim a right to use resources without limitation, whether the specific issue is water, petrol pricing, plastic bags or paid parking. But if the awareness raising is done well and thoughtfully, so that people see the need, then they will very often willingly embrace the change, and over time the whole culture changes.

The need to take care of the environment is far more broadly understood and accepted by the population as a whole than it was only a decade or two ago, when those concerned with the environment were very much at the margin. This awareness is also being increased by people's experience of changed circumstances and the public discussions surrounding them. For example, dealing with traffic congestion creates frustration but it also might prompt the thoughtful driver to contemplate new and better ways to provide for people, including themselves, to get around.

Similarly, people's experience of climate change trends, such as more erratic weather patterns, sustained drought and the increased likelihood of bushfires, will also shape their understanding of the need for change.

Too often our awareness raising and behaviour change efforts concentrate on the general public and neglect to address the institutional dimension, governments and business or corporate citizens. Often government will take the lead, applying new provisions first to itself before applying similar provisions to the private sector, such as with EEO and privacy legislation.

The earlier move to include greenhouse gas information in everyone's electricity bills is one step in raising people's awareness of the effects their living habits can have on the environment, themselves and the broader society and future generations.

This motion today represents a step to address awareness among the corporate citizenry, and I understand it would be a world first in the world-wide effort to rein in greenhouse gas emissions. There is evidence to suggest that public reporting for corporates does contribute to changing the corporate culture, as they respond to the public relations opportunities of being seen as good corporate citizens and, conversely, are keen not to be seen publicly as not meeting their responsibilities to the environment and the rest of society.

I will be interested to hear how the government responds to the suggestion contained in this motion because I am concerned that the government might be lagging in its commitments under the ACT greenhouse strategy, despite the government's assurance in the budget that "implementation of the ACT greenhouse strategy is a major commitment of the government"and that updating the strategy "through a process of reviewing emissions abatement of current measures and assessing the effectiveness of potential new measures will be a priority in 2003-04".

The current greenhouse strategy remains the one that Mr Smyth introduced on behalf of the previous government in 1999, but this government doesn't even seem to be meeting the commitments made in that for regular reviews. So where do we see this government's stamp on the ACT greenhouse policy, given that it's halfway through its

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