Page 227 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 December 2016
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
We have new records in our weather patterns on an alarmingly regular basis—for example, the wettest winter months on record. In fact we have now broken records three years in a row for the wettest winter. This year we had the warmest July night on record; a number of hottest days on record this year, in winter and in spring; and as wet winters followed by hot dry summers exacerbate our bushfire seasons, their threats are increasing. Heat stress is also becoming one of the biggest killers in Australia.
Our level of success in mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts will affect our future way of life in almost every way, including our health, our economy and our environment. It is vital that we do what we can as a jurisdiction to reduce global warming and mitigate its impacts.
The science is now showing that the door is closing on our chance to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees or less, a crucial threshold. But I do believe that with the right targets and the right efforts we can still take action that is critical to the ongoing future of humans and the planet. Our targets are in line with the targets set out in the Paris climate agreement to limit warming to well below two degrees by the end of the century.
As a small jurisdiction we are punching far above our weight. We are inspiring others by showing how 100 per cent renewables can be implemented. Our targets are attracting some $500 million of investment to the ACT’s local economy and putting the ACT on the national and international stage. In the absence of national action on climate change we are also working with other states and territories through the climate action roundtable on ambitious climate action.
But more needs to be done. I have two key goals for the ACT in relation to climate action: establishing a clear pathway for zero net emissions by 2050 at the latest and achieving carbon neutral government by 2020. Here in the ACT we are doing some great work when it comes to renewable energy in particular. We are a world-leading jurisdiction with our target of 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2020, a target that we are on track to achieve.
While this is a significant achievement, we cannot just stop at electricity reform. The next challenge is moving to zero net carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest. Members will have seen this target set out in the 2016 parliamentary agreement. I note also that the Liberal Party agreed during the election that they support this target. It is fantastic to have support for this goal because it will undoubtedly require considerable work and present many challenges.
One of my key priorities during the course of this Assembly is to establish our pathway to zero net emissions and to take clear action towards its implementation, including setting firm interim emissions targets to 2050. We need to work on the sectors that are our major sources of greenhouse gas emissions beyond electricity. When emissions from electricity reduce to zero in 2020, it will leave the transport sector as by far the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the ACT.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video