Labor’s climate target shows Queensland needs more investment and ambition to secure future

Queensland Conservation Council Director Dave Copeman says that Labor’s announcement of a 43% emissions reduction is an important step, but still lagging most states, our international trading partners and our Paris Agreement commitments and Queensland will need more ambition to secure our renewable superpower future. 

“Australia has an opportunity to be at the forefront of climate action, and to secure jobs and industries with our renewable energy and mineral resources and our knowledge and innovation base.” 

“Queenslanders want our economic future to take off like an electric vehicle. At least Labor are putting their foot on the accelerator. The Morrison Government are stuck with their foot on the brake, with a target below their own projections, no new policies or committment for action by 2030. The Federal Government’s net zero “plan” didn’t deliver real policies, instead only vague technology based estimates,” Mr Copeman said. 

 “Queensland is already seeing the opportunities of new economies, with hydrogen announcements, new vanadium mines and renewable energy. But Queensland communities are being let down by a lack of Federal investment, with no bilateral funding agreement on energy, unlike the Liberal states of NSW, South Australia and Tasmania.

Queensland is the state with both the highest current emissions and the greatest potential for renewable energy industries of the future. We need to see a clear plan for investment in developing new industries and the supporting infrastructure such as transmission and storage to secure Queensland’s place in a decarbonised global economy.”

“We welcome Labor’s policies to upgrade the transmission grid, make rooftop solar and batteries more accessible, and developing a National Reconstruction Fund will support

renewables manufacturing. If Labor wins the next election, they need to start delivering these policies underpinning their target as soon as possible. Implementing these policies is almost certain to unlock further potential for emissions reductions, particularly in the transport sector, when combined with international trends and electric vehicle cost reductions” Mr Copeman said. 

“A 43% target is lower than targets already adopted by most Australian states and proposed by the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Industry Group who understand the direction of the international economy and are racing ahead of the Federal Government. 43% by 2030 also falls behind the targets of our international trading partners including the US, UK, EU and Japan, so Labor need to commit to a mechanism to ratchet up ambitions at COP27, or we risk being left behind with stranded assets in declining fossil fuel industries.” Mr Copeman said.