Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton said the Bill provides hope of finally ending the climate policy impasse that has afflicted Australia for the past decade.
“The Bill introduced by Zali Steggall draws on the experience of the United Kingdom and other countries to outline a positive national response to the challenges of climate change and emissions reduction” said Mr Thornton. “The fact that the Bill has already received support from a number of cross-benchers provides hope that we can finally leave the past decade of political squabbling behind us and move on with our transition to a low-carbon economy, to which renewable energy will continue to play a significant role. Over the past five years, the clean energy industry has taken the lead on reducing Australia’s emissions. However, the absence of a federal energy policy has resulted in a recent downturn in renewable energy investment. This Bill will put further pressure on policy makers to provide the industry with the certainty it needs to continue providing new electricity generation while reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
Mr Thornton added that over the past five years, the renewable energy industry had proven its ability to meet and beat any target put in front of it.
“The recent fulfillment of the Renewable Energy Target demonstrates that the renewable energy industry is well placed to do the heavy lifting towards achieving the Bill’s target of zero net emissions by 2050” Thornton said. “With renewable energy responsible for just over 20 per cent of Australia’s total electricity generation, there is a significant opportunity for the industry to expand its role in combatting the effects of climate change.”
For additional information:
