26/07/2005 - The Australian
Government has taken vital action towards
planning for the potential impact of climate
change on vulnerable regions throughout the
nation with a report released today by the
Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell.
The document, Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability
– promoting an efficient adaptation response
in Australia provides a valuable insight into
how early planning could help governments,
industries and communities plan for the effects
of climate change, adapt to the impacts and
exploit any opportunities.
“The report tells us that some degree of
climate change is inevitable because of the
greenhouse gases already emitted to the atmosphere
and the strong growth of global emissions,”
Senator Campbell said.
“We know that our climate is already highly
variable, making us vulnerable to future climate
change caused by global greenhouse emissions.
We need look no further than the economic
and social impacts of prolonged periods of
drought to understand the importance of climate.
“What governments, industry and communities
need to do now is think more strategically
about how to respond to the changes in climate
that are likely over the next 20-30 years.
This report is an important part of that process.”
Senator Campbell said the next step was to
begin adaptation planning in key sectors and
regions.
“The Australian Government has already announced
a $14.2 million National Climate Change Adaptation
Programme to help State and local governments,
industry and communities plan for unavoidable
climate change,” he said.
“These initiatives include research into
the vulnerability of Australia's energy infrastructure
and major cities and the development of guidelines
and products to help stakeholders prepare
adaptation plans.
“Ensuring we have the capacity to adapt to
climate change is a central component of the
Australian Government's climate change strategy,
a $1.8 billion investment in practical and
effective measures to tackle greenhouse gas
emissions – initiatives which have our country
on track to meet our Kyoto emissions target.”
Senator Campbell said Australia was taking
a responsible approach to climate change by
ensuring we had the capacity to adapt to it
as well as limit its impact through initiatives
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“The Australian Government is strongly focused
on reducing emissions at home and globally
and it is equally important that we plan for
unavoidable effects of climate change, as
highlighted by this report,” he said.
A copy of the ‘Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability
Report' can be accessed at www.greenhouse.gov.au
Saving the climate factsheet - Australian
Government Initiatives
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management
Low Emission Technology Demonstration Fund
Total: $522.9 million
To support the demonstration of new technologies
that minimise greenhouse gas emissions from
Australia's energy sector.
Renewable Energy Development Initiative
Total: $100 million
The programme will promote the development
of renewable technologies, systems and processes
that have strong commercial and emissions
reduction potential. Activities eligible for
support includes research and development;
proof-of-concept; technology diffusion; and
early-stage commercialisation.
Solar Cities
Total: $75.2 million
Large-scale trials in a number of urban locations
to demonstrate the economic and environmental
benefits through integrating energy market
reform, planning and building design principles
with the installation of solar energy and
energy efficiency options.
Renewable Energy Storage
Total: $20.5 million
To support the development of advanced electricity
storage technologies for renewable energy.
Wind Forecasting
Total: $14 million
To conduct public tender process to develop
and install systems to provide accurate long-range
forecasts for wind output.
Challenge Plus
Total: $31.6 million
To continue the Government's partnership with
industry to reduce our national greenhouse
gas emissions. It will deliver an expanded
industry partnership programme that integrates
greenhouse issues into business decision making,
will reduce greenhouse emissions, and accelerate
the uptake of energy efficiency. This programme
also includes measures to control emissions
from synthetic greenhouse gases.
Local Greenhouse Action
Total: $13.8 million
To support local government, communities and
individual households in reducing their emissions.
It will enhance the ability of local governments
to work with their communities to reduce emissions,
particularly in the areas of energy use, transport
and waste.
Greenhouse Action in Regional Australia
Total: $20.5 million
To work with the agriculture and land-management
sectors to measure greenhouse gas emissions
and take effective action to manage those
emissions, recognising the potential vulnerability
of rural communities to the effects of climate
change. Activities will include a targeted
agricultural emissions programme, incentives
for greenhouse sinks, and strategies to integrate
greenhouse gas abatement into other regional
priorities such as natural resource management
planning.
Action on Energy Efficiency
Total: $27.4 million
For action on energy efficiency which is currently
the most cost effective approach to abatement
and delivers real economic benefits. The Government
will work with industry, business, the community
and all levels of government to increase the
uptake of cost-effective energy efficiency
opportunities that will reduce greenhouse
emissions, reduce energy demand, and improve
Australia's competitiveness.
Alternative Fuels Conversion Programme
Total: $33.6 million
To reduce greenhouse emissions and improve
air quality by funding 50 per cent of the
incremental cost of the purchase, conversion
or fuel systems upgrade of buses and commercial
vehicles over 3.5 tonne gross vehicle mass
to operate on CNG or LPG.
Low emissions technology and abatement
Total: $42.1 million
To encourage technologies that reduce energy
demand and emission intensity of supply at
a local community level, as well as in business
and the electricity sector. The energy intensive
nature of Australia' s economy means that
we must seek out cost-effective ways to improve
the efficiency of current technologies while
also enabling new low emission technologies
to be part of the longer-term solution to
climate change.
Greenhouse Gas Abatement Programme
Total: $243.6 million
The broader-based Greenhouse Gas Abatement
Programme aims to reduce Australia's net greenhouse
gas emissions by supporting activities that
are likely to result in substantial emission
reductions or substantial sink enhancement,
particularly in the first commitment period
under the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012).
Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator
Total: $10.6 million
For the continued administration of the Government's
Mandatory Renewable Energy Target which will
secure 9,500 gigawatt hours of additional
renewable energy electricity by 2010.
Renewable Remote Power Generation Programme
Total: $205.9 million
The Renewable Remote Power Generation Programme
provides financial support to increase the
use of renewable energy generation in remote
parts of Australia that presently rely on
diesel for electricity generation. More than
4500 projects have been approved to date.
Renewable Energy Commercialisation Programme
Total: $48.6 million
Competitive grants programme to foster the
development of renewable energy industry and
reduce greenhouse gases through grants for
projects leading to commercialisation. This
programme is fully committed, with 24 of 53
grants having been successfully completed
to date.
Renewable Energy Equity Fund
Total: $18.9 million
To provide venture capital for small innovative
renewable energy companies commercialising
technologies. Australian Government funding
is matched on a 2:1 basis by the private sector.
Total private and Government investment to
date totals $12.908 million with $3.573 million
having already been returned to consolidated
revenue through realised investment.
Photovoltaic Rebate Programme
Total: $40.4 million
To encourage the long-term use of photovoltaic
technology to generate electricity from sunlight
and increase the use of renewable energy in
Australia. Cash rebates are available for
grid-connected or stand-alone photovoltaic
systems and are expected to fund about 8000
systems over the life of the programme. Funding
was provided in the 2005-06 Federal Budget
to extend the programme for two years.
International engagement
International Climate Change Policy
Total: 22.6 million
To underpin the Australian Government's work
in building a global response to climate change
that is environmentally effective and economically
efficient, involves all major emitters, and
takes into account different national circumstances.
Key activities include supporting multilateral
negotiations and processes; engaging developing
countries to build their capacity to take
action on climate change; and expanding key
bilateral partnerships to encourage practical
climate change action.
Foundation
National Climate Change Adaptation Programme
Total: $14.2 million
To prepare all spheres of government, and
vulnerable industries and communities for
the consequences of climate change that is
already occurring and will occur. The programme
will deliver a national assessment of economic,
social and environmental impacts of climate
change across Australia; help in the development
of effective and targeted adaptation strategies;
promote research and provide targeted information
to industry sectors and regions; and encourage
the integration of climate change issues into
key policies and programmes across vulnerable
sectors.
Science and measurement
Climate Change Science Programme
Total $30.7 million
To improve our scientific understanding of
the causes, nature, timing and consequences
of climate change to better inform industry
and government decision making. Australia
is already internationally recognised for
the quality of its climate change science.
This measure will continue to build that expertise,
in particular in understanding the key drivers
of climate change in Australia, improving
modelling of climate variability and change,
developing regional climate change projections,
and enhancing international research collaboration
Emissions Measurement and Analysis
Total $33.1 million
To enable Australia to continue to fulfil
its international reporting commitments. The
initiative will provide for the ongoing production
of data and analytical tools to inform business
planning and policy decision making. Robust
emissions measurement and analysis will continue
through the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory,
National Greenhouse Gas Projections and Emissions
Analysis and world-class National Carbon Accounting
System.
Strategic policy response
Total $28.5 million
To advance whole-of-government action on domestic
greenhouse policy issues, including the industrial,
environmental, economic and social implications
of climate change. This will help ensure climate
change issues are integrated into broader
government policy-making and will support
initiatives to promote community awareness
of climate change.
