Page 2389 - Week 06 - Thursday, 10 May 2012
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will be able to be more proactive in achieving our cost reduction and emission reduction goals.
The government is also committed to ensuring that social equity is maintained while we work together to reduce the territory’s greenhouse gas emissions. We know that some Canberrans are less well placed than others to take action on climate change and we have implemented a number of programs that help those most in need, including our outreach program, water and energy savings in the territory, or WEST, and the new WEST plus scheme. These programs provide effective, integrated assistance to households struggling to reduce their energy use. This has the effect of reducing the impact of rising energy prices for these households, whilst also reducing emissions in the residential sector.
The government is committed to driving the creation of a sustainable and prosperous community, delivering real progress on the path to a low carbon economy but also looking after the most vulnerable in the community.
From the lessons learned in the development and implementation of action plan 1, action plan 2 will present a comprehensive set of policies that deliver material reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and set the territory on a path towards carbon neutrality.
Action plan 1 was reviewed in 2009 and I understand my colleague Ms Porter will speak further on that shortly. Importantly, the review identified that all but one action had been completed or is ongoing. The government has been very mindful of the outcomes of the review, especially in relation to the benefits of incorporated monitoring and review of policy initiatives. This, as an outcome, will be reflected in action plan 2 and is reflected in recent government initiatives such as the energy efficiency legislation and the large-scale solar auction.
Action plan 2 will establish a policy framework for responding to climate change and the approaches the government will pursue to support the community to reduce emissions, including through increasing energy efficiency of households and commercial buildings, avoiding energy wastage and embracing the production and use of renewable energy. The final plan will also address adaptation issues to ensure the territory is prepared for a level of climate change that we can no longer hope to avoid, while ensuring that the low income households, our elderly and other vulnerable segments of the community are supported and assisted in this transition period.
The government, finally, acknowledges that it is critical that all jurisdictions across Australia work together to address climate change. The ACT is a signatory to the national partnership agreement on energy efficiency, committing to the development of a nationally consistent and coordinated package of measures to advance energy efficiency outcomes, which will be one of the key ways Australia and the ACT can cost-effectively reduce our emissions profile and reduce the impacts of climate change. The partnership agreement incorporates annual reporting to ensure progress is tracked and evaluated on an ongoing basis.
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