Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Flynn for his question. His electorate and the electorates of many around this House are acutely conscious of the importance of coal-fired power generation now and into the future as well as the importance of coal exports into the future. If we look at the statistics, that concern is registered loud and clear. Eighty per cent of Australia’s electricity comes from coal-fired power stations. Coal is the backbone of regional Australia in many regions—from Mackay to Muswellbrook to Moe. Coal also fires 40 per cent of the world’s power generation and will continue to do so for a long time to come. It is also Australia’s biggest export.

The practical challenge we face is how we deal with those economic realities on the one hand and the fact that 40 per cent of energy related CO2 emissions in 2005 came from coal-fired electricity generation. This brings us to carbon capture and storage. Carbon capture and storage is an important technology option for the future. It is an important practical option for the future. It is important in the overall response to climate change within Australia and internationally.

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