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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-06-22 Daily Xml
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Adelaide to Zero Carbon Challenge

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:32): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing questions to the Minister for Climate Change about the Adelaide to Zero Carbon Challenge.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: The Minister for Climate Change in this place and the Premier in his media release on this Adelaide to Zero Carbon Challenge program have previously championed this challenge as encouraging the world's best and brightest entrepreneurs to help Adelaide become the world's first carbon-neutral city. In March, the Premier launched the first initiative in this challenge, that is a $250,000 prize in seed funding which will be offered to these best minds locally, nationally and internationally to develop ideas covering energy, transport, waste and livability.

I congratulate the government on their progressive attitude in making Adelaide a carbon neutral city. However, I share concerns raised by some in the community that, while the Challenge seems to be carbon neutral, it has certainly not sought to be gender balanced in its leadership. Indeed, of the nine members of the panel of experts who have been appointed to assess the eligibility of applicants, only one of these members is a woman. This, of course, flies in the face of the government's stated objectives in increased involvement of girls and women in STEM, and of course a stated commitment to gender balance in many decision-making forums in our state.

The Greens welcome the low carbon entrepreneur prize, and the Adelaide to Zero Carbon Challenge, but note that these bold ideas that will help establish new jobs and new industries in South Australia while helping make Adelaide the world's first carbon-neutral city have a panel to decide that prize which is comprised of eight men and only one woman. It seems a very 19th century approach for such a 21st century venture. My question to the minister is: just how did the Weatherill government let this almost Smurf village-like gender imbalance go through to the keeper?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:32): I thank the honourable member for her question. The state government and the Adelaide City Council have a shared vision to make Adelaide the world's first carbon-neutral city, a showcase for renewables and clean technology. In embarking on this goal, we can create a more vibrant and sustainable city that attracts the best and the brightest. We know that moving to a carbon-neutral city will unlock innovation and technology and attract business.

Data from 2012-13 indicates, I am advised, that the City of Adelaide generated nearly one million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from existing gas consumption, transport and waste. Stationary energy and transport were the primary sources of emissions, contributing 60 per cent and 35 per cent respectively, and in addition, waste disposed to landfill generated 5 per cent of the city's emissions.

Through our partnership with the Adelaide City Council we want to achieve an ambitious goal, and we have formalised our partnership through the sector agreement under the Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007. I have been pleased to have such strong support from the council, led by the Lord Mayor, for this very important initiative.

In November 2015, the South Australian government and the Adelaide City Council jointly released their shared vision for a carbon-neutral Adelaide. The vision outlines a framework for becoming a carbon-neutral city, including an emissions profile of the city, as I just outlined. The Carbon Neutral Adelaide initiative is designed to drive further emissions reductions and increase the demand for renewable energy, build the state's green industries, increase resource efficiency, improve waste management and facilitate the transition to cleaner transport modes.

Our shared vision will be underpinned by an action plan that we are developing collaboratively with the council during this year. It will concentrate on realising the economic opportunities of transitioning to a low-carbon economy and unlocking investment in South Australia. Achieving significant emission reductions will require innovative solutions and will provide opportunities for the deployment of new carbon technologies.

As part of this innovative approach to reducing emissions, South Australia's Low Carbon Entrepreneur Prize, the first initiative of the Adelaide to Zero Carbon Challenge, has now closed and a judging panel is reviewing submissions to find innovative ideas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the City of Adelaide. The prize provides a total of $250,000 in seed funding to develop ideas aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions and energy and transporting waste, enhancing the livability of the city. I am told that a total of 150 submissions were received, and am advised that a short list of entrepreneurs will be announced by the end of June 2016.

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