Latest climate change statement warns crisis management agencies to face increased pressure 

The transformation of Australia’s energy networks is a national security imperative, according to the latest climate change statement, which warns crisis management agencies will face increased pressure as climate extremes worsen.

Official advice is that as global warming targets increase, national security threats from climate change will become more severe and more frequent — for Australia and regional neighbours.

The minister for climate change and energy tabled the 2023 climate change statement on Thursday.

In a speech to the lower house, Chris Bowen said waiting for speculative solutions at some arbitrary flashpoint in the future was not an option.

Today’s climate emergency demanded that the Australian government could not sit on its hands, he said.

“The relationship between the level of warming and the threats faced is not linear; the threats will compound and expand exponentially the hotter the planet becomes.

“Climate change is an existential national security risk to our Pacific partners and presents unprecedented challenges for our region. It is likely to accentuate economic factors already fuelling political instability, including risks to water insecurity across the globe,” Bowen said.

Australia’s latest climate change statement was released on the same day COP28 kicked off in the United Arab Emirates. Bowen noted that Australia would be advocating for the international community to use stronger mitigation language in addressing climate change concerns and calling on other countries to deliver strong, practical outcomes.

“We will be supporting a tripling of global renewables capacity and doubling of global energy efficiency efforts. And we will be backing in funding arrangements that deliver for the Pacific and the other most climate vulnerable countries while advocating for contributions from all major economies — not a list set in 1992,” Bowen said.

“We recognise the positive role that we can play on the international stage and as a good regional partner. But this needs to be coupled with a domestic transformation, with working towards our targets and ensuring Australia is positioned to take advantage of the jobs, investment and cleaner, cheaper energy which will come with growing renewables.”

The minister told Parliament that while he was pleased about Australia’s progress on emissions reductions over the past year, the job was far from done.

“I am not yet satisfied … We are fully focused on driving the transformation, why we have set ambitious — but achievable — policies and why we can’t take a step off the pedal when it comes to our goals,” Bowen said.

“We need to be frank and honest about the challenges ahead … The fact is that our targets are ambitious in that they require a big lift in effort over the next seven years.”

As part of an update of the national Net Zero 2050 plan, the government will develop six sectoral plans covering the economy across markets including electricity and energy, industry, the built environment, agriculture and land, transport and resources.

The government hopes these plans will offer a detailed pathway about how Australia can collectively achieve its net zero by 2050 goals.

“With over 97% of our exports going to countries with net zero commitments, our future prosperity depends on how we seize new manufacturing and export opportunities and help our trading partners decarbonise,” Bowen said.

“Our fundamental comparative advantage in the future is our renewable energy potential — our tremendous solar and wind resources can provide the basis for industries powered by cheaper, cleaner energy.

“Across green hydrogen and ammonia, green metals, refined critical minerals and clean technology manufacturing including battery and solar supply chains.”

This is the second year the document has been published as a requirement of the Climate Change Act 2022, with a view to accounting for progress made in the last 12 months towards targets for:

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
• International developments to address climate change;
• Climate change policy;
• The efficacy of commonwealth policies;
• The positive social, employment and economic impact of those policies for regional and rural Australia; and
• The status of climate change risks concerning Australia’s environment, biodiversity, health, infrastructure, agriculture, investment and economy.
• The act also legislated a 2030 emissions reduction target of 43% below the levels Australia reached in 2005, and net zero by 2050.

“Last year, in the first annual climate change statement, I spoke of the reset we had delivered — in updating our NDC and 2030 target, a lift from 26-28% to 43%; in getting support from across the community, in recognition that past policy paralysis had cost our nation in economic opportunity and in action in reducing emissions,” Bowen said.

“In the past 12 months, we have accelerated that momentum … This year, we have seen progress and are within striking distance of 43% by 2030. With policies we have announced and are in the process of implementing Australia’s emissions are projected to be 42% below 2005 levels in 2030 — compared to 40% in last year’s projections.

“Australia’s total net emissions from 2021 to 2030 are projected to be 1% below the 10-year budget,” he said.

Bowen said gains had been partially affected by increasing energy prices around the world and the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but a domestic gas and coal cap (announced in the last Budget) had helped significantly lower the cost of powering households and businesses.

He also noted various investments for energy efficiency and smarter energy use — $1 billion for the household energy upgrades fund, $300 million for social housing energy upgrades, $310 million to help SMEs with tax deductions for energy upgrades, and $100 million to support local governments improve their energy efficiency — as examples of “longer-term measures” in the government’s strategy.

A total of 39 out of 42 recommendations by the Climate Change Authority were accepted by the government to inform Australia’s 2023 climate change statement. The minister thanked the authority for its expert advice, noting that it would not replace executive control of climate policy.

“We thank the CCA for their diligent and focused work once again this year,” Bowen said.

“While we listen carefully to the CCA, we also consider a broad range of policy inputs and implications in each decision we take.”

The three rejected proposals included the implementation of a fuel-efficiency standard (FES), a cost-benefit analysis on a fuel efficiency standard for heavy vehicles, and a proposal to phase out new and existing gas connections in coordination with states and territories.

The minister explained these recommendations were knocked back because specific net zero targets for individual sectors needed to be established first; that a FES was not an internationally accepted approach to reducing heavy vehicle emissions; and that a gas ban was not on the cards.

“The government does not support a national ban on gas connections to new homes. We are empowering Australians with choices, like those offered in our $1.7 billion energy savings package,” Bowen said.

“We also recognise there are considerable differences across states and territories and that those decisions will be taken by the relevant jurisdictions.”

The piece was first published by The Mandarin.