Renewable Energy Initiatives

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:54): I have a question for the Minister for Climate Change. Can the minister update the house about South Australia's climate change achievements?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:55): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Tackling global warming is a key priority for this government. As we know, it creates additionally—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has the floor.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Tackling global warming is a key priority for this government. As we also know, it creates jobs and investment. As the recent Climate Change Council report states:

Renewable energy is a job creator, providing various employment opportunities in planning, construction, manufacturing, and operation and maintenance.

Around the globe, I am advised, almost 7.7 million people are employed in the renewable energy sector. The government wants to ensure that South Australia remains a national leader in tackling global warming so that we can make the most of these economic opportunities for our state. Our state's international clean and green image, for example, is a major driver of our food and wine industries as well as our tourism sectors, and tackling global warming will be pivotal to the continued growth in these important industries.

Our leadership on climate change is vital in this endeavour. We were the first jurisdiction in Australia, for example, to introduce specific climate change legislation in 2007. We were the first to introduce container deposit legislation and the first to introduce a premium solar feed-in tariff. We were also the founding co-chair of The Climate Group—States and Regions Alliance. We were the first jurisdiction in the country to sign the Under 2 MOU, a global commitment by states and regions to limit global warming to 2° or less. We were the first in Australia to sign the Regions Adapt, an international initiative on best practice for climate adaptation.

Last year, we became the first jurisdiction in Australia to set a zero net emissions target by 2050. This target was recommended by the Low Carbon Economy Experts Panel and is consistent with what scientists advise is required if global warming is to be limited to 2° or less. Each of these initiatives builds on our international reputation as leaders in tackling global warming. At the same time, they have helped us reduce our emissions by 8 per cent (just over 8 per cent) compared to 1990 levels, while growing our economy by over 60 per cent over the same period, and that is great work that has been recognised both nationally and internationally.

Our Climate Change Adaptation Framework, for example, has won awards both in Australia and overseas. Adelaide has been named by the Carbon Disclosure Project as one of the top 10 cities globally for reporting on emissions. A recent report by the Climate Change Council named South Australia as the top Australian state for renewable energy. That report also showed South Australia had the joint number one postcode in the nation for rooftop solar. In the postcode of Angle Vale in the electorates of Light and Taylor, almost seven in 10 homes have rooftop solar, that is 65 per cent of houses—an amazing achievement.

I have also recently met with Professor Don Henry who told me that former United States vice-president Mr Al Gore talks highly of South Australia's achievements when he travels the world talking about the importance of tackling global warming. I am also advised a senior president of IKEA said to world business leaders at a forum in Paris in December that:

…to build low-carbon growth and jobs we need common sense, long-term policy-making like that in South Australia.

As with other great South Australian initiatives like our container deposit legislation, which I mentioned earlier, other states are now jumping on board. We know that Northern Territory copied that initiative a couple of years ago; now New South Wales, and I hear the ACT also is looking at adopting that program. Again, this is another example of South Australia's leadership—way ahead of its time.

I also welcome Victoria's announcement that they will join South Australia in adopting a zero net emissions target. They have a long way to go, of course, but what they now recognise is that the low-carbon economy is the future. It is the responsibility of every government to ensure that everyone can benefit from these opportunities. That is why we, South Australia, will lead on renewable energy, on global warming initiatives and will drive—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The minister has the floor.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —the debate on renewable energy and climate change in this country because we have, sadly, a federal government presently which is unable or will not enter into such a debate. We will gladly join with our sister states—lead as a state ourselves, but lead other states together on the renewable energy targets that we can set until we see a new Labor government elected to the commonwealth parliament.