Page 3923 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 15 Sept 2009
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innovation and growing the ACT and regional economy sustainably, particularly in new green-collar jobs and skills updating. The committee welcomes and looks forward to the public consultations on the draft ACT government road map to zero net emissions and its energy policy as key work to inform the future deliberations of the committee.
Once again, I would like to thank all those who put hard work into this inquiry, in particular, the key role played by the committee office, and I commend the report to the Assembly.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (10.46): I will take the somewhat unusual step of making some brief comments now in relation to the report, even though it has just been tabled. And I would like to do that because I want to congratulate the committee on its work.
On the face of it, a large number of these recommendations appear to be well considered and reasonably comprehensive. Obviously, the government will need to consider the report in some detail and provide a detailed response. But I want to indicate that the government welcomes this report and it should serve as a strong basis for the development of a tripartisan position on the issue of climate change in the ACT and how we address the impacts that we, as a city, have on greenhouse gas emissions and the overall issue of climate change.
Whilst I cannot commit, and will not commit, the government in relation to each of the recommendations today, I will make the general observation that this is the kind of report that should provide us with a basis for a consensus position. And a consensus position is essential if we are to get on with the very difficult and hard work of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the behaviours in policy, the changes of policy that will be required, the changes in behaviour that will be required, to achieve zero net emissions for our city.
Earlier this year, I was very pleased to indicate the government’s position that we would adopt a zero net emissions approach. I welcome the committee’s endorsement of that, as well as the recognition that this is a target that will only be achieved through a series of steps and a series of interim targets along the way. I think it is the case that cities cannot achieve a climate-neutral position or achieve aggressive policy aimed at realistically and effectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions without a broad political consensus on the matter. Without that broad political consensus, policies are open to change, policies are open to reversal.
Those cities around the world that have demonstrated an enduring commitment to climate change issues and an enduring commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions have been able to do so because there has been a clear political consensus and, regardless of the position of the governing party, there can be confidence amongst policy makers and amongst administrators and the broader community that there is an ongoing objective to be achieved, regardless of who is in government, regardless of who is elected to the parliament. Cities that have achieved that consensus, including Copenhagen itself, have demonstrated to the rest of the world that real and meaningful change can be achieved, built on that foundation.
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