Carbon Neutral Adelaide

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (15:25): My question is again to the Premier. Are there currently more or fewer carbon tonnes emitted in the Adelaide CBD now than in 2005 when the government announced its target of carbon neutral city by 2012?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (15:25): I will bring back an answer on that but my recollection from the—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Most people in South Australia are proud of our leadership role in relation to renewable energy and those opposite—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier has certainly not commenced to debate the question, yet the opposition is subjecting him to an avalanche of interjections. I ask them to desist.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Despite the fact that there has been a substantial increase in the city population and despite the fact that there has been a substantial increase in the economic activity in the Adelaide City Council area, I can confidently say that there has been a reduction in emissions over the relevant period, and that is consistent with the approach that we have managed to achieve here in South Australia—over the last decade, a reduction in carbon pollution on 1990 levels by 9 per cent, yet an increase in economic activity of 60 per cent, so the decoupling of economic growth from carbon emissions.

This is something we should be proud of in South Australia, this is precisely where the world needs to head if we are to combat the dangers of global warming, but more importantly to take advantage of the technological opportunities associated with the new industries that come with a low carbon economy. There are real advantages to be first movers. We have a proud tradition and a proud tradition of achievement here in South Australia. We had no wind farms when we came into government. We now have 41 per cent of the nation's installed wind capacity. We now have one in four houses with solar panels on the roof and we are now the home of some important technology companies which are seeking to unlock the technological challenges associated with the storage of electricity.

This represents the sort of jobs of the future that we should be seeking and striving for, and what we want to do is to present on a national stage, where we get much more respect than we get in this chamber, on the international stage, our credentials in leadership in this area. As the climate change chief has acknowledged when she was in Adelaide, when South Australia hosted a national forum, South Australia's leadership role is respected, not only in the way in which we are seeking to prevent global warming but how we are responding to it. South Australia has been asked to address an international forum, the COP21. We are asked to address an international forum on the leadership role we have played in South Australia—that is something we should be proud of.