Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for acknowledging the science and the critical 10 to 15 years that we have got before we approach this catastrophic tipping point. I ask the minister: has the government estimated how many tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions will be avoided by its pilot carbon capture and storage programs and its nuclear power proposals by 2020 in this critical 10- to 15-year period? What are the best- and worst-case scenario predictions for these two technologies in that period? If the government has not done that estimate, when will it admit that carbon capture and storage and nuclear power will not make any significant contribution to achieving emission reductions in the critical 10- to 15-year period up to 2020 before we reach this critical tipping point?