In a historic first, I am pleased to announce Tasmania has become the first jurisdiction in Australia to achieve zero net emissions.
Emissions data released for 2015-16 confirms reported emissions have declined by 100 per cent from 1989-90 levels, down to -0.01 mega-tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
This meets our target to have zero net emissions by 2050 over 30 years ahead of schedule, confirming our status as a national leader in the ongoing response to climate change.
This is fantastic news which will further enhance Tasmania’s national reputation for clean energy and complements our goal to make Tasmania renewable energy self-sufficient by 2022.
Reducing emissions and bringing online more renewable energy will not only reinforce Tasmania’s energy security, it will also create jobs and help deliver more clean energy into the national market.
It justifies the Hodgman Liberal Government’s nation-leading Climate Change Action Plan that outlines our agenda to keep emissions down and take action on climate change through to 2021.
The Tasmanian Climate Change Office (TCCO) has prepared a report which provides a breakdown of the State’s emissions from individual sectors and an assessment of the State’s performance against key performance indicators.
The report can be found here: www.climatechange.tas.gov.au.