Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That:

(1) the following matter be referred to the Climate Change Authority for review, in accordance with section 59(1)(a)(ii) of the Climate Change Authority Act 2011:

(a) the potential technology transition and emission pathways that best support Australia's transition to net zero emissions by 2050 for the following sectors:

(i) electricity and energy;

(ii) transport;

(iii) industry and waste;

(iv) agriculture and land;

(v) resources; and

(vi) built environment;

(2) the review must identify:

(a) existing and prospective opportunities to achieve emissions reductions;

(b) which technologies may be deployed in each sector to support emissions reductions;

(c) how public and private finance can support and align with these emission pathways;

(d) barriers to implementation, such as short-term or longer-term pressures on cost and supply chains and the pace of technology commercialisation;

(e) workforce matters, including skills and opportunities for women;

(f) any gaps in existing evidence and data; and

(g) any other relevant factors;

(3) the review must take into consideration:

(a) the principles for the Climate Change Authority set out in section 12 of the Climate Change Authority Act 2011, including the global goals in Article 2 of the Paris Agreement and boosting economic, employment and social benefits; and

(b) the range of emissions reductions achievable through the deployment of available and prospective technologies;

(4) the Climate Change Authority must give the report of the review to the Climate Change Minister, in accordance with section 60(1)(b) of the Climate Change Authority Act 2011, by 1 August 2024 to assist the Government in developing a national net zero by 2050 plan; and

(5) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

On 18 July, I announced at the Clean Energy Council that we will be working with industry, the climate movement, experts, unions and the community to develop sectoral decarbonisation plans as part of our net zero 2050 plan. We are beginning work on those plans—on the plans for electricity, energy, industry, the built environment, agriculture and land, transport and resources. The government's sectoral plans will be developed jointly between me and the relevant Commonwealth portfolio minister. We'll also, of course, be working closely with state ministers.

This motion is the first ever reference from the parliament under section 59 of the Climate Change Authority Act 2011. It requests the Climate Change Authority to develop technology based sectoral pathways for these sectors. This advice will be an important input into the government's sectoral plans and help investors identify opportunities in our transformation to net zero. Under this referral, the Climate Change Authority will look in detail at the technology options for each of the identified sectors to get to net zero by 2050, with the Climate Change Authority to report back to the government by August 2024. We value the Climate Change Authority's independent expert advice on these matters and its deep consultations with the sectors and the community.

When I announced the sectoral plans on 18 July, our approach was welcomed by stakeholders across the board. The Business Council of Australia stated, for example:

Development of plans for each sector of the economy is the only way to effectively 'build up' to nationally determined contributions for 2035 and beyond, that are both ambitious and pragmatic and navigate an orderly transition to a resilient, prosperous net zero economy.

We're already implementing our Powering Australia plan to meet our legislated 2030 and 2050 targets. Key reforms, including the Rewiring the Nation policy and our reformed safeguard mechanism, have been implemented, but there is much, much more to do.

The previous government had no credible net zero plan or sectoral approaches to meet its commitments. The previous government was never interested in expert or independent advice. The 2050 plan lodged by the previous government was a fantasy document. It assumed future technologies would do the heavy lifting without any effort or investment to bring them about, and the CCA—the Climate Change Authority of Australia—was not consulted on this so-called plan. We are working across the parliament for evidence based policy, and this referral was raised as an important step when the government passed our safeguard reforms in March this year. The House and all Australians must work together to do what's both possible and practical to stop dangerous climate change and realise the economic opportunities of net zero. I commend the motion to the House.

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