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‘The challenge of our generation’ – why the Australian government is finally taking climate change seriously
Historically Australia has not been particularly proactive when it comes to tackling human-influenced climate change. The country didn’t have a price on carbon pollution or fixed targets for greenhouse gas reduction and the government bowed to increasing pressure from the oil, gas and coal giants who don’t want their enormous profits taxed. However, as the government freely admits, Australia is highly susceptible both environmentally and economically to the enormous impact of climate change. Few would have witnessed or experienced the devastating and deadly floods, cyclones and droughts the country has suffered over the past few years and not at least partially connected the extreme weather events to the rise of greenhouse gas emissions causing what has often been catastrophic climate change. As such, the Australian government’s approach to climate change is now far more proactive and a move to a ‘cleaner economy’ is underway.
As the fourth largest producer and the biggest exporter of coal in the world, Australia must take some responsibility for the increase in global greenhouse emissions and it is fast realising this. With that in mind, the government is striving towards a ‘Clean Energy Future’, which features a couple of key commitments:
Reducing Australia’s emissions
As Prime Minister Julia Gillard stated in a 2010 address on climate change, “The price of inaction is too high a price for our country to pay… because the price of inaction is price rises, job losses and innovations lost.” She then went on to explain the environmental costs – intense heatwaves will rise, droughts will increase, and rising sea levels could swamp hundreds of thousands of homes. In reaction to these very real threats, Australia ratified the Kyoto protocol and is committed to meeting its target of reducing greenhouse emissions to 108% of 1990 emissions by 2012 and 60% of 2000 levels by 2050. As part of the Clean Energy Act a carbon tax took effect from July 1st this year after years of political debate, forcing the country’s most polluting companies to pay a levy for every tonne of greenhouse gases they produce.
Commitment to renewable energies
Unfortunately, the carbon tax will undoubtedly be passed onto consumers in the form of rises in fuel bills. The upside is, this will hopefully pave the way for greater innovation in renewable energies and a greater number of consumers investing in current technologies. Already, a steadily increasing number of the population is reaping the benefits of solar power by AGL and other suppliers, supported by government rebates. The government actively want industries to continue to research and develop renewable energies (and are partnering with many to achieve this) and consumers to invest in them as it has set a Renewable Energy Target for 20% of Australia’s electricity to be generated by renewable sources by 2020.
The Australian government is committed to providing a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future for generations to come and has recognized that one of the ways to do this is to invest in renewable energy technology.
Journalist and copywriter Emily Buckley is a firm believer that renewable energies are the future and has written a series of articles investigating the research, development and mainstream uptake of them.
