Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. As I was saying, one of the most important things in the reports that we tabled yesterday—and I would encourage Senator Birmingham to listen, if he is interested in this issue and is not one of the brigade on the other side who still thinks that climate change is something that is not happening—is the impact of the Rudd Labor government’s renewable energy target. That report shows the significant reduction in Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 as a result of the 20 per cent renewable energy target.

Those opposite seem to misunderstand the nature of this modelling. They seem to understand the nature of tracking where we are going. We recognise Kyoto was a first step and we recognise that much more needs to be done. We also recognise that those opposite had 11 years to deal with these issues and that they were part of the problem of climate change; they were not part of the solution. The difference is that this government is prepared to be part of the solution, as was indicated in the reports. The increase to 20 per cent of the renewable energy target will take out 20 million tonnes by 2020.