Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong. Can the minister outline to the Senate what the Kyoto protocol, coming into force today, means for Australia? How is Australia going to meet its obligations under the Kyoto protocol?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to advise the Senate that today Australia officially becomes part of the global solution on climate change. After so many years of neglect under the previous government, this nation is now sending a clear signal to the world that Australia is prepared to take responsibility on climate change. The Senate will recall that the first official act of the Rudd Labor government was to sign Australia’s instrument of ratification of the Kyoto protocol in December. Our ratification, as a nation, of the protocol comes into force today, 90 days after Australia deposited its instrument of ratification with the UNFCCC. Ratifying Kyoto put this nation back on the map, and it sends a signal that we clearly wish to be part of the solution. We send a signal that we are no longer part of the problem when it comes to climate change.

Kyoto does represent new opportunities for Australia. For the first time, we are a full negotiating partner in all key international fora. We have a seat at the table. Ratification of Kyoto will also facilitate new opportunities for Australian businesses to participate in global carbon markets, and the market in one of the key Kyoto tools—the clean development mechanism—was estimated to be over $5 billion in 2006.

The Rudd government is moving quickly to meet its Kyoto protocol obligations. Today the government is submitting Australia’s initial report under the Kyoto protocol to the United Nations. The UNFCCC deadline for this report is, in fact, March 2009. And I will speak more about that later.

I will comment on the report. The report demonstrates how this nation, first, is able to measure the reductions in emissions that are required under Kyoto. Obviously, measurement is a critical aspect of managing our emissions profile, and the report outlines the critical role of the national carbon accounting system in measuring emissions from land use, land use change and forestry. We have taken this a step further by announcing agreements to share this technology and system regionally and globally. The sharing of this technology is all part of this nation’s responsibility to help shape a global solution. This system will be an important element of the PNG-Australia forest carbon partnership, and the government has also announced a partnership with a range of international organisations on this front, including the Clinton Foundation, to take this issue global. This initial report, which I now table, outlines the measures that this government is taking to calculate our emissions levels.

I also indicate that I am tabling the Tracking to the Kyoto target 2007 report. This report, I am pleased to say, shows the latest projections of these emissions levels and indicates that Australia is now on track to meet its Kyoto emissions target—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left!

Kay Patterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Patterson interjecting—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not yet, Senator Patterson. Senator Wong has not completed her answer.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, what the report that I am tabling today indicates is that the latest projection of Australia’s emission levels indicates that we are on track to meet our Kyoto emissions targets. That is what this report shows; this nation is on track, so today is a good day. It is the day on which the ratification of the Kyoto protocol, an election commitment, comes into force. (Time expired)

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister further advise the Senate on the Australian government’s efforts to deal with climate change, and are there any alternative views?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Moore for the supplementary question. I want to emphasise that the Tracking to the Kyoto target 2007 report shows that the Rudd government’s policies, including the increase of the renewable energy target, will trigger much greater emissions reductions than possible under the previous government’s policies. What this report demonstrates is that the Rudd government’s policies, including the expansion of the renewable energy target, will trigger greater emissions reductions than had been forecast in 2006 under the previous government.

In relation to alternative policies, we know that the coalition is attempting to rewrite history on climate change. They are now saying they supported Kyoto all along—but you really only need to listen to the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Minchin, to know what they really think on that side of the chamber. On Lateline earlier this month Senator Minchin said, ‘I do think that the claims being made in relation to climate change generally are often very exaggerated.’ That is what you really—(Time expired)