Beazley blueprint to tackle emissions

Australian
Monday 16/10/2006, Page: 6

KIM Beazley has pledged to cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, establish a national greenhouse emissions-trading scheme and sign up to the Kyoto Protocol if Labor wins next year's federal election.

The Opposition Leader yesterday released his national Climate Change Blueprint, outlining steps that "middle Australia" could take to protect and restore the environment.

It will seize the economic benefits of the global trillion dollar industry in carbon-friendly technologies and emissions trading, at the same time encouraging industry to take up new and cleaner technologies," Mr Beazley told the South Australian Labor Party convention in Adelaide.

He said the national greenhouse emissions trading scheme would use a price signal as a long term incentive to cut emissions and provide a "mechanism for trading" to reward companies already adapting to a "carbon constrained world".

The blueprint includes installing solar panels in 10,000 public schools, making five-star energy efficiency provisions mandatory for new homes and providing a $2000 subsidy for hybrid cars.

Greg Bourne, chief executive of conservation organisation WWF Australia, yesterday applauded Mr Beazley's target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

But he said Mr Beazley needed to show leadership if elected by enshrining short- and long-term targets in legislation, following the example set by South Australian Premier Mike Rann.

"It's incredibly important that we get leadership in the nation both on the aspirational targets or 60 per cent cuts in emissions by 2050, but more importantly shorter-term targets of 2015 and 2030," Mr Bourne told The Australian.

"It's incredibly important that we do cost carbon into the economy and the introduction of a carbon-tax emissions-trading scheme appropriate to Australian conditions be brought in as quickly as possible." As part of the blueprint, Mr Beazley introduced a list of 10 steps families could take in tackling "dangerous" climate change, describing the simple initiatives as "nation-building around the kitchen table".

"It's a plan that doesn't just harness the power of the wind and the sun, it harnesses the enthusiasm and commitment of families in middle Australia," he said.

Mr Beazley also applauded the Rann Government's initiatives to slow climate change. South Australia currently provides 45 per cent of Australia's grid-connected solar power.

The state has erected inconspicuous wind turbines on Parliament House, the State Library, the South Australian Museum and its art gallery and supplies 51 per cent of the nation's wind power capacity.

"Across the state, wind farms ... will save 1.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year," Mr Beazley said. "That's the same as taking 300,000 cars off the road. "Compare my approach and your innovative, forward-looking Labor Premier with that out-of-touch, short-sighted Liberal Prime Minister."