Government Response

Policy responses to Global Warming

Increasing scientific and political concerns saw global warming introduced to the United Nations agenda. During the 1990s there was a succession of resolutions aimed at marshalling efforts to counter global warming. The focus of these is the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). The 1992 Framework Convention on Climate Change was the first formal international statement of concern and agreement to take action to stabilise atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. In this context the 1997 Kyoto Protocol was negotiated. The Kyoto Protocol specified commitments by individual developed countries to reduce emissions by on average 5.2% below 1990 levels in the "commitment period" from 2008 to 2012.

As a result of negotiations at Kyoto, Australia was given a target of emissions to be no more than 108% of 1990 levels for the period 2008 to 2012. Although not formally ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, the Australian Government appears committed to its Kyoto target of limiting emissions.

Australian Government Response

Australian Governments - Federal and State - have acknowledged the importance of Climate Change and have implemented policies aimed at addressing the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Federally, the Australian Government is active in the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Climate and Clean Development that includes the countries of the US, China, India, South Korea and Japan. The Federal Government is expected to continue its substantial financial support for renewable energy, aiming at new and developing technologies, through its Renewable Energy Development Initiative (REDI) grants and the Low Emission Technology Development Fund.

To encourage the use of renewable energy, the Commonwealth Government introduced the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (the Act). One of the initiatives introduced by the Act is known as the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET). The Act aims to achieve an additional 2% of Australia's electricity from renewable sources.

The additional generation targets are specified for ten years and are national targets. They are not apportioned to States but to electricity retailers on the basis of how much electricity they sell. The Act specifies acceptable renewable sources.

The task, as mandated by the Act, is to generate an additional 9,500 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity per annum by renewable means by 2010. The Electricity Supply Association of Australia estimates that an additional 3000 megawatts (MWe) of renewable capacity will need to be brought on-line to generate the required amount of renewable electricity.

Various state governments have introduced their own initiatives, most notably the Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET) scheme and South Australia's new Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Bill 2006 that seeks to have 20% of electricity generated in SA sourced from renewable energy by 2014.