Page 4856 - Week 11 - Thursday, 21 October 2010
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of that year. To achieve this long-term goal and our transition to a low-carbon economy in a smooth fashion, there is also the need for interim targets. Interim targets help inform relevant policy and program development and create awareness of the significance of the change that needs to be achieved.
The government, with the support of the Greens, instigated and supported the Legislative Assembly inquiry into greenhouse gas reduction targets. That inquiry has received 38 submissions, including from many community and business organisations and individuals, and made 31 recommendations that have played an important role in shaping this legislation. I thank those members of the committee for their work.
As recommended in the draft report of the inquiry, the bill sets the following interim targets for 2050 and 2020: 40 per cent less than 1990 emissions at 2020 and 80 per cent less than 1990 emissions at 2050. The bill also sets an average per person greenhouse gas emissions target to peak by 2013, which recognises that the immediate challenge for the ACT is to halt the growth in per capita and total greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible. This target reminds each of us of our contribution to the territory’s greenhouse gas emission profile and encourages individuals to take action to reduce their impact on the climate.
The Labor government made a commitment in its parliamentary agreement with the ACT Greens to legislate a greenhouse gas emissions reductions target for the territory. With endorsement by the Assembly, this bill will fulfil that commitment.
The goal of carbon neutrality is strongly supported by many in our community. There has been active interest from the community in the establishment of the emissions targets since the government announced its goal of zero net emissions earlier this year. Individuals, organisations and groups have lobbied hard for these targets.
I have had the pleasure, as have other members of this place, to have the opportunity of addressing a number of community meetings to discuss the setting of these targets. Support for action on climate change is further demonstrated by the success of a range of other schemes, including our feed-in tariff scheme, which pays householders and businesses a premium price for clean energy generated at their premises. The scheme has been enthusiastically embraced by the community, with 520 per cent growth in the uptake of renewable energy generation since it was first implemented. This highlights clearly how the community are prepared to respond to strong leadership from the Assembly and the government.
To support legislated targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction we need a transparent, cost-effective and reliable emissions accounting and reporting system. This will enable the government, businesses, organisations, households and individuals to keep track of the progress that we are making towards our shared objective of carbon neutrality. Since 2005-06 the government has commissioned independent greenhouse gas inventories, separate from state and territory greenhouse gas accounts prepared by the commonwealth. The ACT inventory includes emissions data on energy and fuel use that better represent the overall levels of consumption in the territory. It reports on emissions disaggregated into the following sectors: stationary energy, transport, natural gas, waste, and others.
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