HELPING ALL AUSTRALIANS DO THEIR BIT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Media release - 4 May 2009 - The Rudd Government will establish the Australian Carbon Trust to help all Australians to do their bit to reduce Australia’s carbon pollution and to drive energy efficiency in commercial buildings and businesses.

The Government will also take into account the contribution of individual households that purchase accredited GreenPower in setting Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme caps.

The $75.8 million Australian Carbon Trust will incorporate:

a $50 million Energy Efficiency Trust, and
a $25.8 million Energy Efficiency Savings Pledge Fund.
Australian Carbon Trust – Energy Efficiency Savings Pledge Fund

A new website will provide a one-stop shop for individuals and households to simply calculate their energy use and buy and retire carbon pollution permits under the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.

Because the Pledge Fund will pool pledges, even small amounts can combine to make a big difference.

Households and individuals will be able to pledge as little or as much as they can afford to reduce carbon pollution.

The Pledge Fund will be entirely voluntary and contributions to the Pledge Fund will be tax deductible.

Australian Carbon Trust – Energy Efficiency Trust

The Government will provide $50 million in seed funding for an Energy Efficiency Trust to promote energy efficiency in the business sector.

The Trust will work by putting proposals to businesses to undertake energy efficiency measures that will save money over time.

The Trust would cover upfront capital costs of undertaking energy efficiency investments and put in place arrangements for business to repay the capital costs at a commercial rate as energy cost savings flow through.

For example, the Trust could identify lighting improvements in a business that would cost $2 million to undertake. The Trust would cover this $2 million cost, with the business contributing nothing upfront. The business would then pass the energy cost savings from the lighting improvements back to the Trust at a commercial rate until the full $2 million with interest is paid back to the Trust. Once the upfront capital is paid back, the business keeps the ongoing cost savings.

The Trust ensures participating businesses save money without having to tie up any capital.

The Trust also earns a solid rate of return on its investments and demonstrates to other businesses that energy efficiency pays dividends.

The Australian Carbon Trust will be developed in collaboration with the Carbon Trust in the United Kingdom, which is a leader in working with business to cut carbon and develop commercial low carbon technologies.

Supporting individual action through GreenPower

Many households, businesses and community organisations purchase accredited GreenPower to increase the supply of renewable energy and help Australia make the transition to a low pollution future.

As part of the new measures announced today, additional GreenPower purchases above 2009 levels will be directly recognised when the Government sets caps under the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.

Additional GreenPower purchases will be measured annually and future caps will be tightened on a rolling basis.

The Rudd Government has listened to Australian households who have raised concerns that their individual efforts to reduce emissions will not be adequately taken into account under the CPRS.

+ More

A new target for reducing Australia’s carbon pollution

Media release - 4 May 2009 - The Rudd Government has today committed to reduce Australia’s carbon pollution by 25 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020 if the world agrees to an ambitious global deal to stabilise levels of CO2 equivalent at 450 parts per million or lower by mid century.

This new commitment follows extensive consultation with environment advocates on the best way to maximise Australia’s contribution to an ambitious outcome in international negotiations at Copenhagen this December.

If the world achieves this agreement, Australia will meet this 25 per cent target by harnessing the CPRS, the expanded Renewable Energy Target, and with substantial investment in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency and strategic investment in carbon capture and storage.

Up to 5 percentage points of this target could be met by purchasing international credits, such as avoided deforestation credits, using CPRS revenue no earlier than 2015.

In the White Paper, the Rudd Government emphasised clearly that an ambitious agreement to stabilise levels of CO2 equivalent at 450 parts per million or lower by mid century would be squarely in Australia’s national interest.

At that time, we committed Australia to playing its full and fair part in an agreement, but assessed prospects for such an ambitious deal in the near term were challenging.

Since then, international developments have improved prospects.

The Obama administration has already injected a great deal of confidence in the process through its unambiguous commitment to play a leading role in global efforts to limit climate change.

President Obama has reinforced his election commitments to mid and long term carbon pollution reduction goals and to introduce an emissions trading system similar to the CPRS.

His Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate is helping drive progress in UN negotiations for a global agreement.

The United Kingdom has also recently announced a strengthening of its 2020 target for reducing carbon pollution.

Nevertheless, achieving an ambitious global agreement will still be very tough.

It will require a significant further shift in negotiating dynamics so that all advanced and major developing economies take serious action to restrain and then reduce emissions.

The Government will retain its White Paper target range of:

an unconditional commitment to reduce carbon pollution by 5 per cent by 2020; and
a commitment to reduce carbon pollution by 15 per cent by 2020 if there is an agreement where major developing economies commit to substantially restrain emissions and advanced economies take on commitments comparable to Australia’s.
A Ratification Review will be established in addition to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) Process to assess whether the terms of any global agreement meet the conditions set out for Australia to adopt the 25 per cent target.

Should the world achieve this ambitious agreement, the Government would seek a new election mandate for increased 2050 targets.

Crucially, this new target reinforces the need to secure passage of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme this year.

Australia cannot responsibly sign up to targets without a means to deliver them.

The attached documents set out the conditionality for Australia’s targets and the terms of the Ratification Review.

+ More

More water returned to Murray-Darling Basin's stressed rivers and wetlands

Media release - 6 May 2009 - Five sites in the Murray-Darling Basin will share in seven billion litres of water purchased by the Rudd Government as part of a plan to help restore the Murray-Darling Basin to health.

Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, said watering at the sites in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia is expected to start in coming days, and continue through to June 2009.

"Most of the water for the sites is sourced from allocations against entitlements held by Toorale Station on the junction of the Darling and Warrego rivers, which was purchased by the NSW Government in late 2008 with funding assistance from the Australian Government," Senator Wong said.

"The water from Toorale has flowed along the Darling River and will now provide water for critical wetlands and floodplains of the Murray River which are stressed from prolonged drought, historical over-allocation and the emerging impacts of climate change.

"The use of water at these sites is designed to sustain iconic River Red Gums and provide drought refuges for birds and fish. This will give the sites the best chance of recovery when natural inflows increase."

The sites to receive water in the second round are:

Hattah Lakes in north-west Victoria: Listed under the Ramsar convention and an icon site of The Living Murray program, containing River Red Gums and habitat for waterbirds and threatened species including the vulnerable Regent Parrot. The site will receive 2.124 billion litres of water recovered from the purchase of Toorale; a further 1.7 billion litres from the Victorian Government; and one billion litres through the Living Murray program.

Lindsay Island on the Victorian and South Australian border: Part of a Living Murray icon site containing River Red Gum, Black Box woodland and diverse wetland habitats. The site will receive one billion litres from the Commonwealth for a number of small creeks and billabongs, and one billion litres from the Victorian Government.
Backwater Lagoon in the Wangumma State Forest, west of Wentworth, New South Wales: Contains River Red Gums and habitat for vulnerable species including the Regent Parrot and the Southern Bell Frog. The site will receive one billion litres.

Markaranka Floodplain near Waikerie, South Australia: One of four priority floodplain areas along the length of the River Murray in South Australia, containing River Red Gum communities and habitat for the vulnerable Southern Bell Frog and rare duck species. The site will receive 1.5 billion litres.

Gum Flat on Chowilla Floodplain near Renmark in South Australia: This site is part of the Riverland Ramsar site and is in addition to those on the Chowilla Floodplain that received environmental water in the first round in March. Gum Flat is a large floodplain site ringed by mixed aged stands of Black Box and River Red Gums. The site will receive 1.5 billion litres.

Watering sites were selected by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder based on proposals put forward by State Governments and after receiving advice from the Environmental Water Scientific Advisory Committee.

In March, the Government announced the first use of Commonwealth environmental water at four sites in South Australia: Chowilla Floodplain, Paiwalla Wetland, Katarapko Floodplain, and Rocky Gully near Murray Bridge.

Supporting healthy rivers is a key priority under Water for the Future: the Australian Government's long-term, $12.9 billion plan to secure the water supply of all Australians.

More information about the sites receiving water and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder is available at: www.environment.gov.au/water/environmental/cewh/

+ More

A world of value in heritage

Media release - 7 May 2009 - A report into the economic activity of Australia's World Heritage properties released today by Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, highlights the value of these universally significant places to Australia's national, regional and local economies.

"Recent studies show our 17 World Heritage properties generate $12 billion annually and support over 120,000 jobs across the country," Mr Garrett said

"This report, which looks at 15 of our 17 World Heritage properties, confirms the significant contribution our World Heritage properties make to our nation's economy, and demonstrates their importance to local jobs and tourism.

"We already knew some of our most iconic World Heritage places like the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney Opera House were of significant value to our economy, but this report gives us a better appreciation of just how important this contribution is. It shows even our less known places like the Australian Fossil Mammals Sites and Shark Bay make a considerable economic contribution to regional and local economies.

"The great thing is that the economic benefits of this tourism are spread throughout Australia, delivering substantial economic activity in regions within and surrounding the iconic places included on the World Heritage List.

"For example, the gross economic value of tourism in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area was estimated at $426 million in 2007 while the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area in regional and remote Tasmania generates almost $190 million each year.

"At a state and territory level, World Heritage properties were found to add considerable economic value. For example, the five World Heritage areas in New South Wales contribute approximately $2 billion annually to the state's economy."

"This report highlights the need to maintain these assets of outstanding universal value and the Australian Government is committed to continuing to work with states, territories and communities to ensure the ongoing protection and identification of these outstanding places that we look after on behalf of all the people of the world.

"In addition to existing Commonwealth support for World Heritage properties, the recent announcement of $60 million for heritage projects includes at least $8.6 million for natural heritage places, particularly Australia's World Heritage sites.

"With this continued investment in our World heritage places, we will ensure the economic activity generated by these places is maintained into the future."

For more information on Australia's World Heritage properties and access to the economics report released today, visit www.heritage.gov.au