Page 3921 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 15 Sept 2009
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greenhouse gas emissions; yet it seems to constantly fall into the black hole of market failure. It seems that even with the introduction of a national emissions trading scheme it will still fall inside the black hole.
The challenge, therefore, is the shape of the policy and program drivers to ensure the uptake of energy efficiency. This is one reason why the committee has recommended this inquiry be ongoing. Other reasons why the committee has sought ongoing deliberations arise from the uncertainty in a range of policy developments taking place regarding climate change at the moment.
Nationally, we have uncertainty in regard to the Australian government’s proposed carbon pollution reduction scheme and other Council of Australian Governments processes, such as the complementary measures policy agreement. Internationally, we await the outcomes from the 15th meeting of parties to the United Nations Climate Change Convention taking place in Copenhagen in December 2009. Locally, we are yet to see the long-promised energy policy or the data information timetable analysis that will inform the ACT government’s road map to zero net emissions for the ACT.
Likewise, while we welcome the release of the 2005-06 ACT greenhouse gas inventory in July, we await the promised 2006-07 and 2007-08 inventories, as well as the 2008-09 inventory. The committee, the ACT government and the community need these up-to-date inventories as soon as practicable to assess how we are tracking. Have our previous policies worked? In what sectors are we making gains, and where do we need to focus our attention? It is for these reasons, as I outlined earlier, the committee is putting forward this report as an interim report, with our final report to be tabled at the end of March 2010.
While noting these developments, the committee believes that drafting of legislation for the ACT greenhouse gas reduction targets should proceed as soon as possible. So I guess that is picking up on Mr Corbell’s point that he raised earlier, a concern about the delay in this process. The committee is making it quite clear that there should not be a delay and the drafting of legislation should proceed now.
The committee want to see a consideration of legislation before July 2010. We believe the legislation will be an important symbol to motivate the ACT community towards creating a zero net emissions, sustainable city. It will also provide a focus for the government to deliver on programs and make achievements in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Importantly, whatever happens with other processes, the committee is of the view that the ACT should regularly, reliably and consistently be informed of its progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the committee recommends that there be mandatory public monitoring, reporting and review mechanisms in the proposed legislation as a first start, including the annual production of the ACT greenhouse gas inventory.
The committee stresses the importance it places on putting in place the processes and methodology to ensure that the most cost-effective and efficient policies and programs are put in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In that regard, the committee remains disappointed that to date the ACT government has not had a rigorous
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