ENERGY MINISTERS PUT BRAKE ON CLIMATE ACTION
Monday, 27 July 2009 20:41
“Most of the country has its foot to the floor trying to reduce greenhouse emissions but energy ministers have slammed on the brakes,” said Jane Castle, Senior Campaigner at TEC. ‘It’s not surprising greenhouse pollution from the energy sector is skyrocketing: energy ministers are rewarding polluting energy, and blocking efficiency and clean alternatives.“
“Martin Ferguson and his state colleagues must be held accountable for working against the efforts of everyone else. The Ministerial Council on Energy (MCE) is the last refuge of dirty energy. It needs a wake-up call: the market must be overhauled to promote efficiency and renewable energy.”
Emissions from Australia’s energy sector are projected to grow by between 64% and 106% by 2020. This is compared to a national reduction target of between 5 and 25%. Energy ministers include: Martin Ferguson (Federal); Ian MacDonald (NSW); Patrick Conlon (SA); Peter Batchelor (Vic); and Stephen Robertson (QLD).
The report by McLennan Magasanik Associates (MMA). Role of the NEM in responding to climate change policies shows that:
- efficient and clean development is being frustrated by the energy market
- even with emissions trading, other market failures present barriers to the entry of renewable and low emission generators
- there are stark conflicts between the objectives of the National Electricity Market (NEM) and climate change policies
- the lack of an environmental objective for the NEM has constrained opportunities for demand reduction and energy efficiency
- energy ministers have not fully exploited their role to provide national leadership so that broader convergence issues and environmental impacts are effectively integrated into energy sector decision making
“The MCE claims on its website that it delivers environmental benefits for Australians. This is pure fiction. The lack of an environmental objective for the energy market prevents regulators from doing anything about reducing greenhouse emissions and makes them work perversely against climate policies.”
