Craig Thomson (Dobell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. Why is a comprehensive approach to energy efficiency important in addressing dangerous climate change?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dobell for his question. I know he has many in his constituency who are genuinely interested in the government’s energy efficiency policies. The fact is that a comprehensive approach to energy efficiency is absolutely important in tackling the dangers of climate change. It is the government’s second plank in its approach. Sometimes it is called ‘the quiet achiever’. Here the government is taking up unprecedented action to improve energy efficiency across the Australian economy. The evidence is clear. The International Energy Agency—and the Treasurer briefly and recently quoted them in the House—identify energy efficiency as providing substantial emission reductions out to 2030 under a 450 parts per million reference scenario.

I was pleased to announce last week that for the first time Australian governments have agreed to a new national scheme to approve the energy efficiency of commercial office buildings by introducing regulations that will require owners to provide energy efficiency information when selling or leasing. This is a very important announcement. It means that, starting in the second half of 2010, this disclosure scheme will be a real driver for green innovation and competition in the commercial office market, creating clean energy jobs as well. The scheme will also apply to office buildings owned by the Australian government.

I also recently announced that new energy efficiency standards for TVs, household lighting and whitegoods were now in place. People listening may not think that this is a critical measure, but the statistics are clear. The equipment energy efficiency programs are expected to prevent up to 19.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year by 2020, a saving to the Australian economy of up to $22 billion over the next 16 years and a saving to Australian householders of up to $5 billion per year by 2020. These are substantial savings to the economy and substantial savings in greenhouse gas emission reductions. That is what energy efficiency is all about. Of course, since February this year the government’s Energy Efficient Homes Package has provided ceiling insulation for over 600,000 Australian households and solar hot water for around another 100,000. To put this in perspective: since February the Rudd government have made around one in 12 Australian households more energy efficient. Over the rollout we will have reached more than one-quarter of Australian homes, reducing emissions from those households by up to 30 million tonnes by 2020.

These are tangible and real achievements that this government has made. Energy efficiency measures are often called complementary measures, because effective action on energy efficiency complements an effective price for carbon. That is the price that comes with having a carbon pollution reduction scheme. They are both critical parts of a comprehensive approach to tackling dangerous climate change. This week in parliament we have the opportunity to put that in place—that is, to put in place a comprehensive approach marrying these energy efficiency measures that the government has brought forward by agreeing to a carbon pollution reduction scheme. So it is down to the opposition, with possibly seven days of debate left, as we begin the final countdown. I could not help but notice reports today of the opposition party room that the opposition leader actually faces an ETS revolt from some 10 MPs—six Liberals and four Nationals, it is reported. It is reported that they would vote down the laws ‘come what may’. It is time for the opposition to show itself in this debate. The report also says:

… the opposition foreign affairs spokesman said Australia must have a debate about energy security and alternatives.

… she had complained 19 out of 20 G20 countries were pursuing nuclear power.

‘It is time to have a mature debate,’ she said.

All I can say to the member opposite is: let’s have a mature debate about a carbon pollution reduction scheme. Instead, we have some 10 opposition members defiant, opposing their own leader in the party room on a carbon pollution reduction scheme. I know they are starting to arc up when we ask them who is opposing the opposition leader on moving ahead on a carbon pollution reduction scheme. They are quite often fond of quoting lyrics to me. Seeing that we are in the final countdown, I thought I would read the lyrics of The Final Countdown. They looked relevant to me, so I thought I would read them out. This is a soundtrack for the opposition at the moment. The lyrics read:

We’re leaving together

But it’s still farewell

And maybe we’ll come back

To earth, who can tell?

               …            …            …

Oh, we’re heading for Venus—

That reminded me of a report that they did in the previous parliament about carbon emissions on other planets. It continues:

And still we stand tall

Cause maybe they’ve seen us

And welcome to us all

With so many light years to go

And things to be found …

The one thing the opposition should find is a policy and the one thing the opposition leader should find is some leadership to lead his party to deliver a carbon pollution reduction scheme to the Australian people. It is in the national interest, it is in the international interest and the countdown is on.