Page 3726 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 18 September 2018
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Their advice is based on four key factors: firstly, the latest scientific evidence of the impacts and risks of climate change both globally and in the ACT; secondly, the ambition to limit the impacts of climate change through a two degrees warming scenario; thirdly, the latest information and analysis on the ACT’s emissions and technical options for emission reductions; and, fourthly, the ACT’s ability to reduce emissions as a relatively prosperous and well-educated region.
Madam Assistant Speaker, for your benefit and for the benefit of other members, I am happy to confirm that at the time I released that advice from the Climate Change Council it was made publicly available on the internet. It goes into much more detail than I possibly have time for today on matters of carbon budget, how this can be achieved with today’s available technology and a range of other technical advice from key experts on our Climate Change Council. If members are uncertain about any of these points I am making today, I would encourage them to read that advice and appreciate the detail and thought that has gone into it.
Most importantly perhaps, the council’s advice suggests that we can achieve this new target with technology that already exists today. It begs the question: why would you not do it if you can do it with technology that exists today, given the scientific advice that is before us?
We shared this advice with the community and consulted with them extensively on the adoption of the 2045 target. These efforts have been an acknowledgement of the fact that once the ACT is powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity in 2020, reducing our emissions further requires the community to help us by adopting more sustainable behaviours. We need their support and their buy-in.
Consultation began in December 2017 with the release of the ACT government’s net zero emissions discussion paper. The discussion paper provided the opportunity for the community to give us its feedback on a number of key issues, including the 2045 target. During the consultation process, which closed in April this year, we received over 2,000 individual ideas from the community, community interest groups, industry bodies and businesses on how the ACT should be tackling climate change.
These ideas were innovative and inspiring. There was a clear desire from the community to go beyond government-based actions and to contribute. There is also clear awareness in the community that adopting sustainable behaviours such as putting solar on the roof or riding a bike to work rather than taking the car can have positive health and financial benefits for individuals that go beyond the benefit of reducing the territory’s emissions. Most tellingly, we did not receive a single comment during our consultation process suggesting that we should not be taking steps to tackle climate change. It is fair to say that both the science and the community are behind us on this one.
In addition to this bill, I have adopted a series of interim emissions reduction targets by issuing the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Interim Targets) Determination 2018. These interim targets will provide a pathway to ensure that we remain on track leading up to 2045.
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