Australia’s greenhouse emissions are once again rising, after a decade of consistent declines. But the right policies are already in place to turn things around - they just need to be ramped up.
To decarbonise the electricity sector, Australia could increase the volume of renewables while closing old fossil fuel power stations.
Wind turbine image from www.shutterstock.com
Under the Paris climate agreement, Australia has stated that it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. How will we achieve this?
More people are installing solar panels to take control of their electricity supply.
Solar PV image from www.shutterstock.com
Ramping up investment in renewable energy would put Australia on a footing with competitors such as China, Germany and California, which are set to reap the economic benefits of this emerging sector.
Labor wants 50% of Australia’s electricity to come from renewables by 2030 - but what about other climate policies?
Lawrence Murray/Flickr
The Renewable Energy Target now includes wood waste from forestry. But a more sustainable use of Australia’s native forests would be to leave them alone and earn carbon credits from the avoided emissions.
Labor leader Bill Shorten sees more renewable energy on the horizon.
AAP Image/Alan Porritt
Labor’s plan to deliver 50% renewable energy by 2050 could add between $160 and $264 to annual household power bills. But this could be completely offset by better policies to encourage energy efficiency.
Solar thermal technology is still an outside bet - and not the kind of investment the CEFC was set up to make.
WorleyParsons/AAP Image
Environment minister Greg Hunt wants the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to focus on new technologies, not wind and solar. But that’s not what it was set up to do, and Australia already has an agency for that.
Biomass will help meet Australia’s renewable energy target.
David Cootes
Wind energy is already competitive with fossil fuels, will reduce electricity prices for consumers, and will play a large role in reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Don’t tread on woodchips.
Rick Kimpel/Wikimedia Commons
The outcry over the government’s plan to allow wood burning from native forests under the revamped Renewable Energy Target belies the fact that woodchips can be useful and sustainable if harvested responsibly.
A new Grattan Institute report suggests solar panels in Australia might be more trouble than they are worth.
Duncan Rowalinson/Flickr
The Grattan Institute has reported that the costs of solar panels have outweighed the benefits by almost A$10 billion in Australia. But the real benefits of cutting greenhouse emissions are much larger.
Wind farms in the pipeline could fill out Australia’s renewable energy target, leaving no room for other sources.
Lawrence Murray/Flickr
With the federal cuts to the renewable energy target, the states are stepping up to fill the gap.
Tony Abbott and Greg Hunt at last year’s Green Army launch. Funding for the initiative has been slimmed down but is still more than A$700 million.
AAP Image/Britta Campion
The Federal Budget 2015 makes little mention of emissions reductions or renewable energy, but does feature funding boosts for drought assistance and the Great Barrier Reef. What else is in?