State acts to reduce emissions

Hobart Mercury
Saturday 13/9/2008 Page: 8

TASMANIA has 40 per cent lower carbon dioxide emissions, per capita, compared to the rest of Australia, but that's nowhere near low enough, says Premier David Bartlett. Mr Bartlett said for Tasmania to become a successful low carbon economy, emissions from all parts of the economy had to be identified and slashed. To that end, he said, the Government was calling for tenders to conduct a "wedge analysis", the first state to do so. with carbon pollution reduction and renewable energy targets in mind.

Mr Bartlett said the analysis was a major component of the Government's Tasmanian Framework for Action on Climate Change launched in July. It commits the Government to setting interim and sector-based emissions reduction targets by the end of next year. "Tasmania is also the first state to clearly spell out in legislation the path for reducing our emissions over tine." Mr Bartlett said.

The Climate Change (State Action) Bill 2008 before Parliament, sets a 2050 target of 60 per cent below 1990 levels, and provides for the establishment of interim and sector-based targets through regulation. "The new high level, independent Tasmanian Climate Action Council will play an important role in advising on the establishment and review of the targets," he said.

• Other framework components already announced include:
• Subsidies for low income earners to audit their energy use and insulation.
• Partnership agreements with local government to tackle climate change.
• New climate change considerations in the Regional Planning Initiative.
• Commissioning research into how the agricultural sector can work cleaner.
• A major study on how to "sex up" public transport.