Climate Change is an issue that affects all Tasmanians.
Scientific consensus is that the changes in the climate we are starting to experience are almost certainly largely caused by human activity.
While the anticipated repercussions of climate change are indeed daunting it does present us with an opportunity to re-evaluate how we are using energy in our lives – as individuals, as a government and as communities.
There are many simple things we can all do to change the way we live and reduce our impact on the climate. The Tasmanian Government recently announced around $400,000 in funding under the new climate change community grants program called Climate Connect. The new ClimateConnect grants program will provide money for ten highly innovative, projects that help Tasmanians work together in their local communities to find climate change solutions. A second round of the program will be held in 2009-10 and grants of up to $50,000 are available to help not-for-profit community groups develop ideas that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve energy. More information about the program will appear on the Tasmanian Government’s climate change website once dates for the second funding round have been finalised: http://www.climatechange.tas.gov.au/climateconnect_grants.
Last year, the Premier launched an awareness campaign that encourages everyone to take action and ‘Earn Your Stars’. A series of video clips, which were broadcast on Tasmanian television in 2008, can also be viewed on the Tasmanian Government’s climate change website www.climatechange.tas.gov.au. The website also provides information and tips to help Tasmanians learn more about climate change, calculate their own greenhouse gas emissions, find out what action they can take now, and contribute ideas to this complex, fast-moving debate.
An independent, expert advisory council has also been established to advise the Government on its response to climate change and its progress towards the Tasmanian emissions reduction target. The Tasmanian Climate Action Council held its first meeting in March this year. It is chaired by Associate Professor Kate Crowley, from t the University of Tasmania and includes experts from across the broad range of disciplines that contribute to climate change solutions, such as climate science, academia, tranpsort, agriculture, business and behaviour change. The Council also includes two community representatives who are currently developing a broader Climate Change Coalition of Interest designed to bring the broader Tasmanian community together to generate and share ideas on climate change solutions and opportunities.
On the website you will also find the Tasmanian Framework for Action on Climate Change.
The Framework outlines what the State Government is doing to help Tasmanians reduce emissions, adapt to change, seize opportunities and contribute to global solutions. The most significant of these is a major 'wedges' analysis of the Tasmanian economy that will identify measures that can be taken across different sectors of our economy to reduce emissions in pursuit of our legislated target of 60 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050. This analysis will inform the setting of interim emissions reduction targets. The wedge analysis will be completed later this year. There are also more initiatives and ideas for future action in the Framework.
One of the key priorities in the Tasmanian Framework for Action on Climate Change is demonstrating leadership. The Tasmanian Government has now become the first State Government to have undertaken greenhouse gas emissions audits for all of its agencies. Agencies are now implementing emissions reduction plans to provide practical leadership on reducing greenhouse gases.
As part of the Framework, the State Government has developed a number of partnership agreements with scientific, local government and community sector stakeholders. In December 2008, I signed the first climate change partnership agreement between the Tasmanian Government and all Tasmanian local governments. This partnership focuses not only on helping to reduce emissions, but also on helping local communities to adapt to inevitable impacts of climate change.
The Commonwealth’s carbon pollution reduction scheme will be the main mechanism used in Australia to reduce emissions, and states and territories have agreed not to implement programs which might compromise the scheme’s effectiveness. Once there is better understanding of what the scheme will mean for Tasmania, the State Government will be able to build on initiatives announced in the Framework with more action. More information on the Commonwealth’s carbon pollution reduction scheme can be found at: http://www.climatechange.gov.au/greenpaper/index.html.
The State Government believes that Tasmania has the scope to do more than just adapt to the changes ahead. With our large renewable energy base, Tasmania can seize new opportunities and be a leader in the new carbon-constrained world. There is the potential for Tasmania become a place where people can live or visit, and know they are contributing to the solutions, not the problems.
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