19 Dec 2017
The 2017 Review of Australia’s Climate Change Policies released today highlights that a raft of policies are in place to reduce Australia’s emissions.
“Achieving our 2030 emissions target at least cost to our economy is a significant challenge for Australia. The review confirms that natural gas has a major part to play in this transition,” said APPEA Chief Executive Dr Malcolm Roberts.
“Gas-fired generation is essential to maintaining reliable energy supply while reducing emissions from the electricity sector. On-call gas-fired peaking plants are the ideal back-up for intermittent renewable energy.
“Australia’s LNG exports are a clear, net positive for the global environment.
“Natural gas is not only a low- emissions fuel; replacing biomass and coal with gas markedly improves air quality. Air pollution, from various sources, is a major, preventable cause of premature deaths in developing countries.
“The 2017 review confirms the Government’s in-principle support for Australian businesses having access to international permits. APPEA welcomes this position and encourages the Government to allow as soon as possible the use of all credible domestic and international offsets.
“APPEA also welcomes the commitment to maintain some flexibility in the Safeguard Mechanism in the case of resource projects where emissions will fluctuate naturally.”
Dr Roberts said APPEA will continue to advocate for realistic treatment of trade‑exposed industries to maintain their international competitiveness and ensure Australia continues to attract investment.
“More gas development is a win for the environment and a win for Australian consumers. It should remain at the core of any climate change response,” he said.
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