Page 3922 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 15 Sept 2009
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
methodology in place to make decisions about important climate change policies and programs or processes to evaluate their effectiveness. We do acknowledge that this is not an easy task.
The committee was at pains to ensure that potential policy measures take into account initial economic, social and environment impacts, as well as longer term costs and benefits. For instance, the committee recommends that all ACT government agencies undertake a sustainability assessment of all major policies, programs and projects.
It is for this reason we did not set a definitive long-term target. We need to assess the feasibility of getting the next 40 per cent to take us to a reduction of 80 per cent by 2050. The challenge will be this additional 40 per cent. The committee suggests that energy efficiency might well assist here as well. However, significant reductions will be more expensive and will come from fundamental changes in the ACT energy supply.
The committee notes that many policy and program suggestions were made during this inquiry and therefore asks in this interim report that the ACT government take them on board and consider them, using a consistent methodology in the context of the visionary road map to zero net emissions proposed by the ACT government.
The committee recommends that the ACT government take leadership and demonstrate to the community how it is tackling and reducing emissions in its own operations, as a matter of priority. Therefore, the committee recommends that the ACT government lead the community by outlining its pathway to achieving zero net emissions in its operations by 2015. It can provide leadership by sharing its lessons with us all.
In summary, our initial key recommendations are to seek consideration of climate change legislation in the Assembly in the first half of 2010; support a medium-term legislative target of a 40 per cent reduction in ACT emissions by 2020 on 1990 levels; support delivery of any set targets by introduction of legislated mandatory and consistent public reporting, as well as independent review of policy programs and progress; and incorporate sustainability or triple-bottom-line considerations into climate change policies and programs as well as the broader requirement of requiring a climate change analysis of all major policies, projects and programs.
The recommendations seek consideration of all policy and program ideas raised during the inquiry to be addressed as part of the ACT government road map to zero net emissions. We recommend the delivery of key measures in the 2010-11 budget to deliver energy efficiency measures.
We note our capacity to deliver a longer term target in the range of 80 per cent by 2050. It needs to be considered in the context of national and international events and local policy options such as will, hopefully, soon be evident in the road map to a zero net emissions ACT. We note the need for a local energy policy to inform our energy supply options.
The committee recognises the enormity of the challenges created by climate change—economic, social and environmental challenges. It also sees great potential for
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .