16/03/2005 - Developing
low emissions technology is the most pressing
challenge to reducing the levels of greenhouse
gases entering the atmosphere, the Minister
for Environment, Senator Ian Campbell, told
an energy and environment conference in London
yesterday.
"Being able to use traditional energy
sources such as coal, oil and gas through
cleaner and more efficient methods is undoubtedly
the biggest challenge facing governments and
industry," Senator Campbell said.
"Other energy sources - such as solar,
wind and hydro - have an important role to
play but for the foreseeable future fossil
fuels will continue to be the principal source
of Australia's energy needs."
Senator Campbell told the 20-nation conference
the Australian Government had established
a $500 million fund, which aims to leverage
$1 billion from industry to develop technologies
to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The fund was the key component of the government's
$1.8 billion package of programs to address
climate change.
"Measures adopted by the Australian
Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
are working.
"Australia is on track to meet its Kyoto
target of 108 percent of 11000 emissions by
2012 and this is being achieved without impeding
economic growth.
"That is the challenge - to get carbon
levels down but keep economic growth up.
"The task of reducing greenhouse emissions
beyond 2012 will increase as some of the existing
options to offset emissions diminish.
"That is why the Government is pursuing
practical policies that will allow our energy
needs to be met at competitive prices, but
that will simultaneously help to cut global
greenhouse gases to the levels required to
stabilise the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere."
Speakers at the two-day conference said such
reductions required a concerted approach by
the major greenhouse gas emitters from all
developed and developing economies.
