LEADER TO LAGGARD IN JUST ONE YEAR

The Climate Council have just published a report card on Australia’s performance in policy and investment in renewable and solar energy (RE), which factors into building design. It’s a fascinating read, although not very enjoyable if you, like us, reckon Australia should be at the forefront of sustainable energy development, heading towards zero-emission buildings.

The key findings come as a bit of a slap in the face to the Abbott government’s overall drift into the black coal hole, and has some very pointy things to say about specific policies. Let us share a few of the report’s findings with you…

THE REST OF THE WORLD
China and the US are now at the front of the charge on climate change mitigation. Both are moving towards broad scale emissions trading schemes, and China especially is ramping up renewable energy targets and energy efficiency requirements. Most industrialised countries have been accelerating the regulatory and policy improvements for at least 5 years.

AUSTRALIA
In the last year, Australia has moved from being a leader to a laggard. We are the 15th largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter, and emit more than Europe and China per capita. Our renewable energy target (RET) is too low, and yet the government wants to reduce it further.

The now legislated Direct Action policy appears very unlikely to achieve anything like its projected 5% reduction in GHG emissions on 2000 levels. Investment in RE in 2014 dropped a staggering 70%! All the gains made by the carbon tax, at little real cost to the community, have been lost since its repeal, making Direct Action even more unlikely to succeed.

Meanwhile the droughts and weather extremes keep taking an increasing toll (not that Sydney-siders would notice, living in a uniquely benign coastal climate band).

THE ONGOING NEED
Globally, CO2 levels are the highest they have been for at least 800,000 years. When I first presented An Inconvenient Truth in Australia in December 2006, that figure was 650,000 years. 8 years of inadequate action has burned up 150,000 years of records!

Globally, fossil fuel industries receive $2 trillion/yr in government subsidies, which is 6 times the rate (not the $ amount) at which RE is subsidised. Unless the fossil fuel subsidies are cancelled, we will exceed the widely accepted 2° ‘safe’ limit on global warming.

International negotiations are focussing more intensely on binding commitments, with far reaching implications for all aspects of national economies. Yet PM Abbott has not seen fit to even put it on the agenda for the G20 meeting, putting Australia clearly out of step with the rest of the world and where we need to be.

WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?
This most common of questions, because we often feel so disempowered! No one has to do everything, but we can all do a bit.

Make a phone call to your local Federal member, especially if they are Liberal. And call your state Liberal and Nationals Senators. Call your favourite cross-bencher. Call you favourite talk-back radio host – even the shock jocks (but be prepared to get talked over and cut off). A few phone calls – not that hard really.

The Climate Council report can be read here: http://issuu.com/solarcouncil/docs/lagging-behind_climate_council_repo/5?e=0/10077835