This submission provides a combined response to the two separate but related consultation processes being run by the Department of Premier and Cabinet at the moment:
- Review of the Climate Change Act including the Discussion paper by Jacobs
- Developing a New Climate Change Action Plan for Tasmania and the associated Opportunities Paper.
Summary of our key points and recommendations
● Climate Tasmania has consistently argued that effective climate action in Tasmania requires a tri-partisan approach from parliament that provides continuity of action across changes of government.
● Climate Tasmania has developed a detailed set of Drafting Instructions which set out the requirements and arrangements for an effective Climate Act.
● Detailed work on a Climate Action Plan should be guided by an updated and strengthened Climate Change Act.
● Emissions and sequestration should be accounted for separately.
● Any legislated total emissions reduction target for Tasmania should exclude sequestration from forestry (i.e. it should not be based on net emissions) backed by realistic sectoral.
● Sectoral and fuel specific targets, with interim targets, are necessary for an effective approach to climate action.
● All sectors should aim to individually reach zero emissions by 2050 (ie not rely on sequestration from other sectors or purchased offsets). Some sectors will reach zero emissions earlier (eg electricity) but this should not be used as an excuse to avoid planning a trajectory towards zero for each sector.
● To be able to be seen as part of the solution, rather than as part of the problem, the slowest Tasmania should reduce its emissions is the rate identified in the IPCC’s SR15 report as being required to keep warming to 1.5 °C. To be seen as a leader, Tasmania’s emissions reduction trajectory needs to be faster than this.
The full Climate Tasmania submission can be downloaded HERE.
For further information about reform of the Climate Act see here.
