Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Trade and Investment and leader of the government, Minister Birmingham. With Trump going and US President-elect Biden saying, 'Climate change poses an existential threat to our future, and we are running out of time to address it', Australia has more in common with petro-states like Saudi Arabia and Russia. Your targets have Australia on track for a catastrophic four degrees of warming. Will the government acknowledge that 2030 commitments are crucial and lift our targets at the upcoming Glasgow climate summit?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Waters for her question. Indeed, I do acknowledge the 2030 targets are crucial. This side of the chamber has a 2030 target. That side of the chamber does not have a 2030 target, I would note. I certainly agree that 2030 targets are crucial and that our government has outlined very clearly a 2030 target of a 26 to 28 per cent reduction against 2005 levels.

I think it's instructive for us to look at how Australia's achievement in emissions reduction compares with 2005 levels. Our emissions are down 14 per cent compared with 2005 levels. What's the OECD average by comparison? It's nine per cent. So: Australia, 14 per cent; the OECD average, nine per cent. Indeed, across a number of other countries: the United States are down 10 per cent, a smidgeon above the OECD average, even including during President Trump's time in office, says Senator Waters; Canada are down 0.1 per cent; New Zealand are down one per cent; Japan are down eight per cent. Different countries are tracking at different levels in terms of emissions reductions, but Australia can be proud of the fact that we have made commitments in Kyoto 1 and in Kyoto 2 and we've exceeded those commitments. In exceeding those commitments, we have well and truly exceeded the OECD average for emissions reduction over that period of time. So, when our government makes a 2030 commitment, as we have done in the Paris Agreement, what we've done is commit once again to actually achieve and ideally exceed, as we have done time and time before. That's the approach we've taken in our time in office, to make commitments and to honour them through domestic emissions reductions, which we've done above the global average. And in getting those reductions we intend to continue to honour our commitments.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, a supplementary question.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Biden pledged 100 per cent clean energy by 2035. Will this government follow suit?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President-elect Biden has made certain policy commitments, and we welcome the fact that President-elect Biden has committed to invest heavily in technology. It's very consistent with the technology road map that our government has outlined in terms of meeting our emissions reductions. The United States is Australia's No. 1 investment partner, so the complementarity that comes with them having technological ambitions alongside our technology ambitions absolutely sit well together.

In terms of energy generation, which Senator Waters asked about, let me again look at the share of solar and wind as part of electricity generation. In Australia, solar and wind now stands at 18 per cent of electricity generation compared to the OECD average of 11 per cent. In the US it's nine per cent. In Canada it's six per cent. In New Zealand it's five per cent, and in Japan it's eight per cent. So, again, Australia leads in terms of renewables, solar and wind—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order, Senator Waters? Time for the answer has expired.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think there were still three seconds on the clock, which is why I stood up, but I'm sorry if I got that wrong. It was a point of order on relevance. My question went to 100 per cent clean electricity by 2035. The minister's given a nice little lecture, but I'm interested in an actual answer.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, I think you did stand when there were two seconds left, but, with respect, there's no opportunity for me to provide advice to the minister. I will say, however, that I believe he was being directly relevant because the question referenced renewable energy and he was directly talking about that topic, even if not in the terms you wished. I can't instruct him on how to answer a question. A final supplementary.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note that former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described your gas-led recovery as 'b-s and political piffle'. Will you now follow Malcolm Turnbull's advice and execute a pivot on climate and lead this nation towards zero emissions?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Gas has been a crucial transition fuel that has enabled Australia to drive down our emissions. Indeed, it's been a key factor in what's enabled the United States to drive down their emissions as well. So gas continues to play a critical role in that energy generation sector in driving down emissions as a share of the energy generated but it is also critically an important component for manufacturing sectors as well. Manufacturing industries also need gas as an input. So, when we talk about gas as an input into the Australian economy, it's not just for energy generation purposes; it's recognising that if you want a manufacturing industry in this country, if you want high employment levels in this country, then, indeed, you need to make sure that all of the energy resources they need that are not just electricity generation are supplied for them in that regard. So generating gas is an important part of that. Of course it is sitting alongside our technology road map and all of the other instruments that are designed to ensure Australia is meeting and exceeding our emissions reductions targets. (Time expired)