Sunshine Coast Daily
04/06/2007 Page: 8
QUEENSLAND will cut its carbon emissions by over 30% by 2020 under a $414 million climate change strategy unveiled yesterday by premier Peter Beattie. Mr Beattie told a gathering of energy experts, environmentalists and business representatives in Brisbane the plan was to have 18% of the state's power generated by natural gas and 10% of energy coming from renewable sources by 2020.
The wide-ranging Climate Smart 2050 report is designed to reduce emissions by 34% by 2020 and by 60% by 2050, based on 2000 levels of emissions. The focus of the strategy is the creation of a $300 million Queensland Climate Change Fund, which will be used to develop new green technologies such as hydrogen fuel-cells.
The fund will be set up by the sale of the Queensland government's wind farm assets around Australia and the remaining gas assets of Enertrade, which include the Moranbah to Townsville gas pipeline. "This is about a balanced approach," Mr Beattie said. "This is a total package.
It is a package that will protect jobs, protect the Queensland economy but also save the environment." Mr Beattie said the interest from the climate change fund, expected to be about $20 million annually, will see ongoing investment in the future of climate change initiatives.
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