16/02/2005 - Australia
had reason to be proud of its record in
reducing greenhouse gas emission levels,
the Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell, said today.
He said emissions had been cut by around
4 per cent in the past five years, the equivalent
of taking four million vehicles off our
roads.
"The entry into force today of the
Kyoto Protocol on climate change is a milestone,
but rather than be made to feel guilty for
not having ratified it, Australia can hold
its head high for its record in protecting
the environment," he said.
"A tremendous amount of work has been
done by the community, industry and government
to care for our environment and in finding
ways to tackle the big issues associated
with greenhouse emissions.
"Kyoto is not the environment's silver
bullet. There isn't one.
"But there are two real bullets -
technology and action by all countries.
"Today, world energy relies on fossil
fuels and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
from these sources can only come from advances
in technology - ways to exploit our cheapest
sources of energy but make them far cleaner.
"The facts about Kyoto are simple:
if all of the member parties reach their
targets - and that's not going to happen
- global greenhouse emissions will still
grow by 40 per cent.
"If Australia were to sign up to this
treaty not only would it achieve next to
nothing for the environment, but the competitiveness
of some Australian industries would be severely
harmed and job losses would follow.
"Australia will continue to work hard
in various forums to get all of the world's
major emitting countries - not only some
of them - to commit to a new treaty beyond
Kyoto that will achieve the deep cuts that
scientists agree are required to stabilise
the concentrations of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere.'
Senator Campbell said Australia's achievements
in tackling the greenhouse problem included:
• Being on track to meet its Kyoto emissions
target - one of only four countries do so,
the others being Britain, Sweden and New
Zealand. Australia's target amounted to
a reduction of 94 million tonnes of greenhouse
gas by 2010 compared to 11000 levels, the
equivalent of removing all current transport
emissions.
• Introducing the world's first law requiring
certain levels of energy to come from renewable
sources such as solar and wind.
• Involving Australian companies and businesses
in the Greenhouse Challenge Plus Program
to reduce their greenhouse emissions through
innovation and smarter energy management
This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by 15.8 million tonnes annually in 2010,
the equivalent of taking around 3 million
vehicles off our roads.
• Making it compulsory for household appliances
to carry energy rating labels and new cars
to show fuel consumption levels. Extending
and accelerating the mandatory energy standards
for appliances and equipment will save more
than 200 million tonnes of greenhouse gas
emissions by 2020.
Senator Campbell said the Governments $1.8
billion climate change package demonstrated
its determination to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
Some of the measures designed to achieve
a long term effective climate change program
include:
• Renewable Energy Development Initiative
• Solar Cities Trial
• Advanced Energy Storage Technologies Fund
• Mandatory Energy Efficiency Opportunity
Assessments
• Wind Forecasting Programme
"The $500 million Low Emissions Technology
Fund from the Energy White Paper will provide
incentives to industry to develop the sort
of technology needed to clean our fuels,
trap and use gases that previously would
have gone into the atmosphere and safety
dispose of waste.
"The Government is also investing more
than $200 million as part of its Energy
White Paper Energy Strategy to help develop
the renewable energy sector, such as photovoltaic
technology (producing electricity from the
sun) and wind power.
