NSW unveils net zero board to keep emission reductions on target

The inaugural chair and commissioners aboard a body hoped to help meet emissions reduction targets have been revealed.

The seven commissioners and their chair on the NSW Net Zero Commission, created in December when the state legislated targets, will report annually to the government about its progress.

The commissioners include the state’s chief scientist Hugh Durrant-Whyte, former Australian Renewable Energy Agency board members Maria Atkinson and Meg McDonald and Australian Research Council’s climate extremes centre director Professor Andy Pitman, among others.

Former NSW Treasury secretary Paul Grimes has been appointed chair.

Dr Grimes was also appointed to the commonwealth’s Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee in April.

The commission would help the state progress towards its ambitious emissions reduction targets, Energy Minister Penny Sharpe said.

“The strong, independent Net Zero Commission will provide us with expert assessments of our progress in achieving our net-zero goals and adapting to our changing climate,” Ms Sharpe said.

She will present at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia’s NSW energy outlook in Sydney on Tuesday, where executives from multiple major energy companies will also speak.

The event will discuss the development of renewable energy projects, streamlining regulation and boosting investment, attempting to address challenges and take advantage of the economic opportunities in the energy transition.

The state has legislated targets to reduce emissions to 50 per cent of its 2005 level by 2030, 70 per cent by 2035 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Source: AAP