Page 4108 - Week 12 - Thursday, 1 December 2022
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
clean energy and energy storage sector and drew representatives from around
the world.
The mission to Singapore was highly focused, with the objective to showcase the ACT’s climate action leadership and policy expertise; showcase the territory’s renewable energy sector capability and industry solutions in the solar, battery and grid integration space; strengthen government-to-government dialogue in climate action collaboration; and promote higher education partnerships in areas of strategic mutual priorities on climate tech research and development.
The ACT-Singapore relationship is a valuable asset and facilitates trade, investment, research and cultural flows between our jurisdictions. This delegation builds on the connections made through previous missions and reinforces the importance of this relationship into the future. The value of this initiative was strengthened through the participation of seven ACT delegates from five ACT organisations. These organisations included businesses, research and peak bodies in the services, renewable energy and energy storage sectors. Their participation in the delegation underscored that Singapore is a key market in Asia.
Stepping back and looking at Australia’s relationship with Singapore, it was clear from the discussions on the trip that our future as a renewable energy exporting powerhouse is there if we can step up and realise it. The Sun Cable project, a proposed regional green grid connection between Darwin and Singapore via a high-voltage direct current transmission system, was repeatedly discussed and promoted as a central pillar to Singapore’s access to clean and secure energy in a low-carbon world. Australia has world-leading renewable energy resources, especially in wind and solar. I am proud that the ACT continues to lead the way within Australia in the pathway to the electrification of our energy systems, after achieving 100 per cent renewable electricity in 2020, and proud of everyday Canberrans as the uptake of electric appliances continues to grow.
I would also like to thank the Australian High Commissioner, the Hon Will Hodgman, for his participation in welcoming the ACT delegation, as well as his team’s support in the preparations for it. Mr Hodgman has had a distinguished career, including in the Tasmanian parliament and as the inaugural chair of the Australian Business Growth Fund. The experience and insights he shared with the delegation were much appreciated.
The delegation’s activities commenced on Tuesday 25 October. In the morning I attended several Singapore International Energy Week conference sessions. It was notable how much the importance of emissions reductions and addressing climate change featured throughout the presentations. Again and again these topics came up and were interlaced in a wide variety of themes such as green infrastructure; electrification and storage; regional grid connections; energy innovation; and green financing. It reiterated that decarbonisation is a key agenda in our region and touches all aspects of our lives and the urgency with which we must act.
I then joined a “meet and greet” conference networking session hosted by TotalEnergies. TotalEnergies is a significant energy producer and aims to be net zero emissions from its operations by 2050. Engaging with large multinationals will be
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video