Page 4081 - Week 13 - Thursday, 2 December 2021
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Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (3.06): Pursuant to standing order 211, I move:
That the Assembly take note of the following paper:
Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act, pursuant to section 26—Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act 2010 Review—2021—
Review.
Government response.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Attorney-General, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Gaming and Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction) (3.06): I am pleased to speak to the tabling of the review of the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act 2010 and the government’s response to the review. As Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction, under section 26 of the act I am required, as soon as practicable after every 10 years of the act’s operation, to oversee a review of its operation and to present a report of the review to the Legislative Assembly.
Today, I ask that the Assembly notes the recommendations of the review and the government’s response, which agrees to nine recommendations, agrees in principle to one, and notes two of the 12, in total, recommendations.
The review comes at an opportune time for the ACT. COVID-19 and the health response had significant impacts, but the ACT has remained unwavering in our commitment to deliver meaningful action on climate change. Last year the ACT achieved the emissions reduction target of a 40 per cent reduction from the 1989-90 baseline level. In 2020 the ACT also transitioned to a 100 per cent renewable electricity supply. We are now working towards a 50 to 60 per cent reduction by 2025 so that we can ultimately achieve net zero emissions by 2045.
In 2010 the act was established to promote the development of policies and practices to address climate change, to set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to provide for monitoring and reporting in relation to the targets. The requirement for a regular review of the act ensures that it remains effective over time.
For the purposes of the review, a steering committee—hereafter referred to as “the committee”—was formed, and consisted of two ACT government senior officials, one senior official of the South Australian government and a former chair of the ACT Climate Change Council. All members are experts on matters concerning climate change and emissions reduction. The committee established the terms of reference for the review.
The government engaged an independent reviewer, Aither, to undertake the review. Aither were asked to assess two things: firstly, the effectiveness of the act in achieving its objects from 2010 to 2020; and, secondly, the appropriateness of the act to achieve the intended outcomes to 2030, which is the year of the next scheduled review.
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