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“It’s most likely the electricity sector will be close to 50 per cent by 2030 and that means we can expect to see emissions reductions between 30 and 35 per cent by 2030,” Mr Wood said.
Electricity generation is the one high polluting industry that state governments have significant control over.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to reach net zero emissions “as quickly as possible” and “preferably” by 2050,but the federal government has not committed to a deadline. All states and territories have set a net zero by 2050 goal,and NSW and Victoria are aiming for a cut of 50 per cent by 2030.
Climate Council senior researcher Tim Baxter said the state and territory governments had “ripped the rug out from under the federal government’s feet”.
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“Just meeting state and territory targets – without any effort from the federal government at all – would take us to something like 34 per cent below 2005 levels in 2030,” Mr Baxter said.
Mr Baxter said government support for the development of gas fields like the Beetaloo in the Northern Territory and Galilee in Queensland could undo the emissions goals set by the states.
“Each of these basins is on its own terms a colossal carbon bomb. Should all five proceed it will be game over for Australia on ever being taken seriously on climate change again.”
Ms D’Ambrosio said Victoria had invested $1.6 billion in renewable energy to tap jobs growth.
“Strong and certain targets create a pipeline of projects and jobs – this is why 30 per cent of Australia’s renewable energy jobs are in Victoria,more than any other state,” she said.
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Chief executive of the ClimateWorks think tank,Anna Skarbek,told the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia on Tuesday that Australia needed to cut carbon emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2030 to act consistently with global action needed to limit global warming to two degrees.
She said state and federal policies were “fragmented” and consistent national plans were needed to coordinate investments at polluting industries that will be disrupted by the push to decarbonise – like fossil fuels and mining — and help workers and communities transition to a low emissions economy.
“There are about a dozen regions around Australia that are ripe for this that have the industrial facilities in place,the workforces,the access to renewable energy,and the opportunity to harness this,” Ms Skarbek said.