Page 4080 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
The government recognises the need to reduce our footprint, and is working strongly to address a range of sustainability issues, such as greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, water consumption and waste management. Significant progress is being made in these areas.
Before I turn to the government’s initiatives in these areas, it is worth reflecting on some of the things that are perhaps more difficult to manage in terms of an ecological footprint. For example, highly complex consumer goods are not produced here in the ACT. Our televisions and computers, radios and other electronic equipment are not manufactured in the ACT. Equally, fridges, washing machines and other highly evolved consumer goods are not manufactured in the ACT. Yet these do contribute to our ecological footprint. They are all used by us, purchased by us, consumed by us and ultimately disposed of by us, but often they come from a very long way away, and they have an impact in terms of energy use as they are imported into the nation. The same is the case with motor vehicles. These types of highly evolved consumer goods are goods that contribute to our ecological footprint, but it is difficult for the territory to have complete control over their purchase and, indeed, their use.
That said, there are a range of areas where we do have control. These particularly relate to greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. The challenge for all of us is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The ACT’s greenhouse gas inventory tracks greenhouse gas emissions by emissions sector—for example, stationary energy, transport and waste.
To ensure that the ACT takes full responsibility for the greenhouse gas emissions it causes, the government includes emissions from electricity generated outside the territory, largely from coal-fired power generation, used by Canberrans. The 2008 inventory estimates our emissions at 4.182 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Emissions are dominated by the burning of fossil fuels for electricity at 62 per cent, transport at 23 per cent and heating at nine per cent.
The government has established a framework for reducing our emissions. The climate change and greenhouse gas reduction target was passed by the Assembly in October last year and established targets for zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2060; peaking per capita emissions by 2013; 40 per cent of 1990 levels by 2020; and 80 per cent of 1990 levels by 2050. Weathering the change action plan 2 will build on the government’s achievements in action plan 1 and will outline a comprehensive suite of measures to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Action plan 2 is expected to be released for public consultation later this year and will complement the pending release of the finalised sustainable energy policy for the ACT. The sustainable energy policy will play a pivotal role in meeting the target of zero net emissions by providing a comprehensive policy framework around issues such as energy efficiency, design and cleaner generation.
Ms Bresnan mentioned the purchase of green power. The purchase of green power is an important measure available to the government and the broader community to reduce the territory’s greenhouse gas emissions. The national green power scheme allows electricity consumers to support the development of renewable energy capacity
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video