Sydney, November 25. Australia's prime minister-elect, Kevin Rudd,
is to back up an election promise to make climate change a priority, thus
marking a major sea change in the country's attitude towards fighting global
warming.
The Labour leader, who ended 11 years of conservative rule in a landslide election win on November 24, has already held meetings with government officials about signing the Kyoto pact on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the treaty that his predecessor, John Howard, refused to endorse. And Rudd also said he would attend the imminent UN climate summit in Bali.
By announcing at his inaugural news conference his intention to immediately sign the Kyoto pact, Rudd has sent a wave of optimism through the renewables industry in Australia and worldwide. The ALP’s election promises for the environment can be summarised as follows. Australia will:
- Ratify Kyoto immediately;
- Cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2050 through a national carbon trading system;
- Establish a 20% renewable energy target by 2020, (60,000 GWh/annum total);
- Offer AUS$10,000 low-interest loans for households to implement energy and water savings such as solar power, solar hot water, rainwater tanks and insulation for buildings;
- Offer AUS$489 million for National Solar Schools grants, AUS$500 million for a National Clean Coal Fund, and AUS$500 million for a Green Car Challenge.
Sources in Australia predict that the first three points will positively affect the renewables industry and its growth in Australia, particularly with regard to wind. The current, (soon to be replaced) RE target is just 9,500 GWh/annum, there is currently no carbon trading system, and Australia has famously (along with the US) not signed up to the Kyoto Protocol; this latest move will see the US administration further isolated from the international community on climate issues.
- Australia is still digesting the scale of Rudd's victory, which saw Howard and his Liberal party coalition annihilated at the polls. According to the Australian Electoral Commission, with 76% of votes counted Labour had a swing of 6%, giving it 83 seats in the 150-seat parliament, up 23 on the last election. The Liberals have 48 seats, down from 74.
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