Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Waters for her question. It is correct, as I understand it, that, overnight Australian time, or thereabouts, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will release its Sixth assessment report, which will provide an update on the latest physical science on climate change, including rates, causes and likely future trajectories in relation to climate change. The report, I understand, will be released at 6 pm Australian time.

Australian scientists, as part of Commonwealth contributions, have made significant contributions to the science underpinning the report. Our government looks forward to receiving that report, to its public release and to its informing future deliberations, particularly those that will take place at the Glasgow Conference of the Parties later this year. The government of course continues to work on the pursuit of climate action that is effective and targeted, particularly targeted on developing the technologies that have enabled Australia to meet and exceed our Kyoto targets—our Kyoto 1 target, our Kyoto 2 target—and to put us on track to meet our Paris targets as well.

Investing in those technologies has enabled us to not see a tax based approach but to see a technology based approach which has Australia as a world-leading nation when it comes to the adoption of renewable technologies and has Australia as a world-leading nation when it comes to a track record of making commitments—and not just making those commitments but seeing them through. Seeing them through and delivering upon them is what is particularly important in that regard. That's what we're doing in relation to Paris, and that's what we will do in relation to all future commitments as well.