2019-05-15
Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury will today introduce legislation designed to strengthen the ACT’s commitment to 100% renewable electricity beyond 2020.
The Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Amendment Bill will legislate for the ACT to maintain an ongoing obligation to 100% renewable electricity for each year beyond our 2020 target.
This means that once we achieve our 2020 target, our electricity will always be powered by clean, renewable energy, even as electricity use grows as we move to decarbonise energy use from Canberra’s transport and heating needs.
This will ensure our renewable electricity target is in-line with our greenhouse gas emission targets, providing additional certainty to the renewables industry, and to Canberrans.
“The legislation will also improve transparency and accountability to ensure that Canberrans are given the information required to observe progress towards our targets. It is, after all, a responsibility for all of us to reduce the devastating impacts of climate change.
“The ACT’s investment in renewable energy is bringing over $500 million into our local economy over 20 years. Put simply, investment in renewables make economic and environmental sense.
“We are already seeing the benefits of our early action on climate change. We have some of the lowest renewable electricity prices in Australia and our renewable energy projects are attracting business, research and educational opportunities.
“Our actions have a big impact in terms of influencing other Australian—and international—jurisdictions because they are both ambitious and achievable,” Mr Rattenbury added.