Page 3787 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 27 August 2008
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for key programs like tackling climate change. We have been able to do this because we have kept Canberra’s economy strong so that we can invest in the future with more money for schools, hospitals, the environment and building a stronger community.
We take our responsibilities in the area of sustainability seriously. We know and accept that we have an obligation to future generations to not leave them our mess to clean up and we know that, while the costs of action are significant, they are manageable and must be undertaken now. The costs of delay of course are unthinkable.
We are most fortunate in the ACT to have a willing community that is up to the task of reducing our collective impact on our natural environment. Canberrans are aware, forward-thinking and engaged people. We have demonstrated how our changed behaviour can result in major changes, like our response to water conservation and recycling.
This government accepts the overwhelming scientific evidence of climate change. We know what greenhouse gases are doing to our climate and we have the knowledge to start action to address it and then, over time, to reverse it. We increasingly know what will happen to our environment if we do not act and, as a consequence, what the impact is likely to be on future generations.
Since taking government, we have faced devastating bushfires, drought, localised storms and flooding of disproportionate strength and duration. These are normal, but their intensity and increasing frequency are the symptoms of unsustainable environmental change. They have significant impacts on our planning for the future. So we can adapt but we cannot of course just adapt; we must take action to correct the underlying causes and to protect our environment. And a major part of our response is providing a range of incentives, rebates and assistance to Canberrans to play their part and to make a difference.
While climate change is a natural process, it has been significantly accelerated by the emission of greenhouse gases, primarily caused by the use of fossil-based fuels. It is generally accepted by the international science community that the world must reduce its emission of greenhouse gases by 60 per cent of 2000 emissions by 2050 if we are to limit average global warming to two per cent. Greater global warming than this is expected to cause dramatic irreversible changes such as the melting of the Greenland icecap.
The ACT government is committed to assisting Canberrans to respond to the challenge of climate change, both through setting an example itself and through delivering innovative educational infrastructure and socially equitable programs. This government has had a long history of local and national environmental leadership.
Over the years, as our understanding of climate change and its impacts have become better understood, we have faced the challenge and come up with practical ways of tackling this most pressing of issues. Over the past two terms the government has focused on the future, acted decisively, taken the necessary steps and forged partnerships to deal with the challenges we face.
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