The Victorian government will pledge to cut the state's greenhouse gas emissions by up to a fifth by 2020, putting it at odds with Canberra as the state positions itself as the national leader on tackling climate change.
The target – a reduction of 15 to 20 per cent – will be achievable only because of the closure of the Hazelwood coal power station in March, announced by its French-majority owners last year. But it will also require other cuts through energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
Melbourne trams to run on solar power
Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D'Ambrosio says Melbourne's more than 400 trams will be powered by Victoria's first large-scale solar plant, set to be built by the end of 2018.
It deepens the divide on climate between the state Labor and the Turnbull Coalition government, which will meet a less exacting 2020 target and has been sharply critical of the cost of Victoria's ambitious renewable energy policy.
Victorian Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said 2016 was the hottest year on record, and the state wanted to maximise job and investment opportunities through a forward-thinking approach to tackling the problem.
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"The Paris agreement has been set and Victoria will continue to lead," she said.
"We hope that Malcolm Turnbull will stand with Victoria rather than climate deniers like Donald Trump and Cory Bernardi."
The announcement effectively reintroduces a target introduced by Labor seven years ago under then premier John Brumby. That target – a 20 per cent cut below 2000 levels – was scrapped under his Liberal successor Ted Baillieu.
The new target is based on 2005 emissions levels, which are little changed today. The interim target will be made easier to meet by the closure of the ageing Hazelwood plant, which is responsible for about 13 per cent of Victoria's greenhouse pollution and up to a quarter of its electricity.
Though other coal plants are likely to increase generation, it is expected the state's emissions will fall by about 10 per cent overnight.
The state aims to have zero net emissions by 2050. Targets for 2025 and 2030 are promised in 2018.
Asked if the state was just relying on Hazelwood shutting to meet the 2020 goal, Ms D'Ambrosio said the target reflected "a range of factors within the changing energy market". She cited the growth of renewable energy and an energy efficiency target, which offers discounts on electricity-saving products.
Renewable energy targets set last year aim to nearly triple clean energy in less than a decade (specifically, 25 per cent by 2020 and 40 per cent by 2025, up from 14 per cent last year), though they are not expected to have much impact on emissions until next decade.
Ms D'Ambrosio will on Sunday also announce that:
- More than 2400 businesses, local governments, community groups and schools have made commitments to cut emissions following a call for voluntary pledges.
- A target for state government departments of a 30 per cent cut by 2020, compared with 2015 levels.
- Victoria has joined the global Under2Coalition of state and city governments working to avoid 2 degrees warming.
Spring Street v Capital Hill
The Victorian government is contrasting its stance with that of the Prime Minister, who starts the year under pressure from competing directions on climate change and energy.
An Environment Department review this year will consider how to meet the Turnbull government's 2030 commitment of a 26-28 per cent cut below 2005 levels. Chief Scientist Alan Finkel reported that several analyses have found existing policies are not fit for purpose and will need to be upgraded.
Mr Turnbull is also facing calls from some Coalition MPs calling for climate policies to be wound back – and possibly for Australia to walk away from the global Paris deal – in the wake of Mr Trump's election as US President.
It comes against a backdrop of concern about the energy reliability as coal plants close, and warnings from energy and business leaders that there is no national policy to guide investment in a modern electricity system.
Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg said, rather than chest-beating about their own targets, the Andrews government would better serve Victorians "by getting into sync with the Commonwealth's more considered approach, which places a priority on energy security and affordability while transitioning to a lower emissions future".
Victorian Opposition environment spokesman Brad Battin said Premier Daniel Andrews was expecting businesses to foot the bill to meet the new targets. "The Coalition supports positive, proactive environment policy but not at the expense of electricity security and jobs," he said.
Environment Victoria chief executive Mark Wakeham welcomed the target, but said achieving it would require pollution limits on coal-fired generators so they did not just increase emissions when Hazelwood shuts, and an ambitious energy efficiency strategy.
"The fact that our new target may be weaker than the original target highlights the delays and damage caused by the lack of bipartisanship on climate change," he said.
While in Washington ...
Reports last week suggested Mr Trump was preparing executive orders to drastically reduce US involvement in the United Nations and review, and potentially walk away from, multilateral treaties such as the Paris climate deal.
More than 100 countries last year ratified the Paris agreement, agreeing to aim to keep global warming this century well below 2 degrees.
Meanwhile, the planet continues to warm. The world's major meteorological organisations have declared 2016 the third year straight to set a new benchmark for average global heat, a trend they overwhelmingly attribute to greenhouse gases.