Australia heads towards a clean energy future one budget at a time

Clean Energy Council
13 May 2008

The Clean Energy Council, the peak national industry body for the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors, said the Rudd government delivered on its climate change election promises in their first federal budget. "Climate change requires a whole-of-government approach and the Rudd team have delivered," said Clean Energy Council CEO, Rosemary Warnock.

Ms Warnock continued,"the budget tackles climate change at its major source – stationary energy – through a number of substantial initiatives including:

• An Emissions Trading Scheme,
• a renewable energy target of 20% by 2020,
• well over half a billion dollars on R&D and innovation funding and
• a broad range of energy efficiency measures such as the Green Building Fund for commercial buildings, the Clean Business Australia program, the Climate Ready Fund, the Green Loans initiative for households and the 10-star rating program for appliances. "

"The government has taken the right steps toward a comprehensive framework of policies needed to successfully reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. With the Garnaut review coming up later in the year; we look forward to working with government on the all important detail of these key policies, required to meet our international obligations and reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions," Ms Warnock said.

The Council also said it will review the impact means testing of the solar photovoltaic (PV) rebate scheme will have on the solar industry; particularly without the introduction of a national gross metering feed-in tariff. Although the government is bringing funding forward for the scheme, its unknown the impact means testing will have.

The Clean Energy Council has a five point plan for transitioning Australia's energy sector towards a low carbon economy. The plan includes an Emissions Trading Scheme, a renewable energy target, an energy efficiency target, R&D funding and removing systemic and market barriers to the uptake of clean energy and energy efficiency.