On Wednesday Lily D’AMBROSIO, Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission, introduced a Bill in Victoria’s legislative Assembly to update the State’s interim emission reduction climate targets for 2035, bring forward Victoria’s long-term target for zero net emissions to 2045.
So what are the changes:
- Bring forward from 2050 the long-term target for zero net emissions to 2045
- Interim emission targets of 28-33 per cent below 2005 levels by 2025; 45–50 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030; and 75-80 per cent below 2005 levels by 2035
- increase the VRET renewable energy target for 2030 to 65%,
- Set the new VRET renewable energy target of 95% for 2035
- Set new energy storage targets of at least 2.6 gigawatts (GW) of energy storage capacity by 2030 and at least 6.3 GW by 2035; and
- Set new offshore wind energy targets of at least 2 GW by 2032, 4 GW by 2035 and 9 GW by 2040.
- Update the the Planning and Environment Act 1987 to expressly require consideration of climate change during the preparation of planning schemes and amendments to planning schemes under the Act.
“We’ll be the sixth largest economy in the world with a net zero legislated emissions target of 2045 or earlier.”
In 2020 Victoria achieved its first Victoria’s Renewable Energy Target (VRET) target of 25 per cent renewable generation with renewable sources providing 26.6 per cent of Victoria’s electricity generation for that year. In 2022/23 Victoria has achieved a renewable energy generation share of 38 per cent.
The electricity sector currently generates around 50 per cent of Victoria’s total emissions.
Victoria currently has 5,280 megawatts (MW) of commissioned large-scale wind and solar capacity, 4,030 MW of small-scale rooftop PV capacity and 537 MW of operational energy storage capacity.
An additional 13 renewable energy projects totalling 1,407 MW are currently under construction and a further 6,129 MW of new projects have been approved but are yet to commence construction.
Achieving Victoria’s renewable energy and energy storage targets for 2030 and 2035 targets is expected to have a positive economic impact on provision of jobs and investment in the state:
- support 27,800 jobs in Victoria over the period to 2030 and 59,200 jobs to 2035, with storage investment contributing 4,400 of these jobs to 2030 and 12,700 of these jobs to 2035
- support economic activity of at least $5.3 billion (in net present value terms) in Victoria over the period to 2030 and $9.4 billion (in net present value terms) over the period to 2035, with storage investment contributing $750 million of this amount to 2030 and $1.7 billion of this amount to 2035.
In a Ministerial Statement on Renewable Energy Lily D’Ambrosio said:
I am pleased to update the house on how we are delivering on our world-leading renewables targets, which are slashing energy bills for Victorians and our emissions and creating 59,000 new jobs for Victorians. Through our Solar Homes program more than 350,000 rebates have so far been approved for rooftop solar PV, for hot water and for batteries, which are saving Victorian households more than $1000 a year on their energy bills. Our nation-leading Victorian energy upgrades program is delivering real savings to more than 500,000 households and businesses through discounted products in 2022 alone, with savings of between $110 and $3700 a year, plus all Victorians are benefiting because of the resulting lower network and wholesale prices. Our Victorian default offers, the first in the country, continue to provide the cheapest default offer in the country. The reason is clear: it is because of our massive investment in renewables – the cheapest energy you can build, and more is to come. We are now legislating new renewables targets – 65 per cent by 2030, 95 per cent by 2035 – and the SEC will help accelerate that build.
We know that the best way to slash household energy bills is through electrification and getting out of expensive fossil gas. Today a new all-electric home costs no more to build and, even better, from day one when you move in, it can save you at least $1000 – or $2200 if you have got solar panels – off your bills every year. If you electrify your existing home, you will save 30 per cent – or 60 per cent if you have got solar – off your annual bills every year. Those opposite voted for nuclear – higher bills. They voted for fracking – higher bills. They voted to sell off the SEC – higher bills. That is not our way, and we will continue to deliver for Victorians.
Call to ban new fossil fuel projects
It is certainly a rosy picture that the Minister paints, and she needs to be given credit for setting these targets which keep Victoria as a climate leader. But later that day Tim Read, the Greens MP from Brunswick injected some context in the adjournment debate, in calling for the government to legislate a constitutional ban on new fossil fuel projects in Victoria.
My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Climate Action, and the action I seek is for the government to legislate a constitutional ban on new fossil fuel projects in Victoria. Last week the UN reported that all the current emissions pledges by various countries to reduce emissions, to reduce climate change, still have the world on track for 3 degrees of global warming by the end of the century – and 3 degrees of warming is a hellish future for our planet. We would suffer one-in-100-year coastal flooding events every single year. We would suffer catastrophic bushfire seasons like 2009 or 2020 every single year. We would suffer when essentials like housing and food become even more scarce and expensive, and we would suffer in places like Darwin, where the normal temperature would be over 35 degrees, or in New South Wales, which would see tropical cyclones and tropical diseases, and in Victoria, where drought would cripple food production. As the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said:
“We are hurtling towards disaster, eyes wide open …”
This is what is predicted if we do not do more, and that is why the Greens are demanding that the Victorian Labor government do more. This starts by Victorian Labor not adding new fossil fuels to the fire that is burning our planet. They must immediately halt the dozen or more fossil fuel projects currently under consideration. They must scrap the new offshore gas drilling projects planned for the Gippsland Basin, they must scrap the planned new gas import terminal in Geelong and they must scrap all the gas drilling projects planned for the Otway Basin, including near the Twelve Apostles. They must abandon the short-sighted and dirty coal-to-hydrogen project in the Latrobe Valley and tear up the secret deal with AGL that lets it keep burning brown coal until 2035. Labor must stop these projects and protect our climate by banning all future new mining, drilling and burning of fossil fuels and put it in our state constitution. Enough is enough: no new coal and gas in Victoria.
While Victoria is doing great work on the energy transition, it seems the government still has a foot in the fire with various gas and coal projects.
NSW legislates 70% by 2035 interim target and net zero by 2050
Up north across the border, The new Minns NSW Labor Government had to be pushed by the Coalition parties and the Greens for adopting an interim 2035 emissions reduction target.
Amendments strengthened the legislation. The targets will be able to be reviewed and increased over time, and the Net Zero Commission will be able to provide independent advice on projects and policies, including approvals of any new coal and gas projects, reports the Guardian.
Climate Action Merribek 