Page 2397 - Week 06 - Thursday, 10 May 2012
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2013; 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020; and 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050. These targets were informed by the legislative inquiry which involved extensive consultation with the ACT community. The targets set a clear direction for the ACT in planning its sustainable future.
The Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act 2010 sets out the ways in which the ACT will report on climate change and greenhouse gas reductions. The act identifies two reports: an annual report on actions taken against climate change and the ACT greenhouse gas inventory. For each financial year the Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development must prepare a report on the effectiveness of actions taken to abate emissions and to adapt to climate-driven changes in the ACT.
The ACT greenhouse gas inventory is prepared by an independent entity, ensuring consistency with the best national and international practices while still addressing the ACT-specific methodology requirements. The inventory includes a comparison of the annual greenhouse gas emissions in the territory, identification of the main sources, and tracking against the greenhouse gas reduction targets, both total and per capita.
In accordance with the greenhouse gas reduction act, the government annually reviews the ACT greenhouse gas inventory methodology to ensure it is consistent with best practice. It is important to note that the ACT greenhouse gas inventory is a more comprehensive account of the greenhouse gas emissions in the ACT than given in state and territory greenhouse gas inventories prepared by the commonwealth.
The commonwealth inventory for the ACT calculates emissions using a production approach which focuses on specific facility or production process where emissions occur. The ACT has adopted a position of assuming responsibility for the greenhouse gas emissions created in the production of electricity that is supplied to the ACT from the national electricity market.
Greenhouse gas inventories are only ever used as an estimate of emissions for an entity. The ACT government will continue to look at options to improve and include emissions sources that are attributable to the ACT. This will include some work on how to best include local energy generation and the ACT’s renewable energy target. One such improvement the ACT government is exploring will be undertaking more timely releases of emissions reports.
Consistent with the commonwealth national accounts, the ACT government releases its greenhouse gas inventory with approximately a two-year lag. This is to allow for complete datasets to be verified, especially in the land use, land use change and forestry sectors. As these sectors are a fairly small percentage of the ACT inventory, a more timely release may be achievable with land use emissions verified at a later time corresponding with the release of the national accounts. This would allow the ACT to more closely track how we are progressing against the greenhouse gas reduction targets over the next decade, particularly towards the 2020 reduction target, and address any problems more rapidly.
The ACT government has committed to carbon neutrality in its own operations by 2020. It recognises the need to lead by example. By providing real examples of
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