South Australia has committed to a new target of zero net emissions by 2050, the state’s Premier, Jay Weatherill, has revealed.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, following the release of the recommendations of the South Australian Low Carbon Economy Expert Panel – a panel that included former federal Liberal leader John Hewson, ClimateWorks’ Anna Skarbek, and ANU’s Frank Jotzo.
Weatherill is yet to map out exactly how the state will reach this target, or to respond to other recommendations in the report, including a 100 per cent renewables target by 2050. But he said being the first government to adopt a target of zero net emissions by 2050 gave the state a competitive advantage.
“As we head towards the Paris Climate Change Conference, SA has an opportunity to place itself at the forefront as a leader in transitioning to a low-carbon economy,” he said.
“One example is the potential for SA to be a low-carbon electricity powerhouse and a net exporter of renewable energy.
“The state’s abundant renewable electricity, combined with its rich resource base and existing manufacturing expertise, mean that the state could be a natural base for energy intensive mining and manufacturing industries in a low carbon world,” Weatherill said.
In its recommendations, the panel said 100 per cent renewables could be achieved by the state “relatively quickly”, making South Australia a net exporter of renewables.
Renewables advocacy group Solar Citizens said the panel’s recommendation to have a solar panel on every rooftop was particularly welcome.
As reported in the Adelaide Advertiser, the state’s climate minister, Ian Hunter, said the panel also identified the state’s strengths in the education and training of a workforce for a carbon-constrained future.
“This means providing assistance for workers moving from industries in decline into new opportunities is critical, as is support for communities affected by rapid change,” Hunter said.
“There are also significant innovative market opportunities for energy storage solutions from the state’s high penetration of solar PV,” he said, “with the potential to attract and develop technology suppliers and expertise in the state.
Interestingly, the report also recommended against the development of nuclear power in South Australia, with the panel finding new nuclear power plants were not cost effective for Australia’s smaller states.
Weatherill’s response, so far, to the panel’s findings have been welcomed by the Clean Energy Council, with CEC chief Kane Thornton describing the state’s plan to be a net exporter of renewable energy as “extremely welcome.”
“A long-term transition plan for a cleaner energy sector with strong market signals will attract major private sector investment to the state,” Thornton said in a statement on Wednesday.
“It is certainly achievable, and the South Australian example to date shows that much higher levels of renewable energy are possible throughout the rest of the country.”
Currently about 40 per cent of South Australia’s power is provided by renewable energy, the most of any mainland state.
“The report provides South Australia with a comprehensive plan of how it can share in the global boom in renewables,” said Solar Citizens campaigns director Dan Scaysbrook.
“The task for the government is to turn this into a reality by introducing laws that delivers on the report’s action plan.
“(It) can start to deliver on this commitment by ruling out the ‘solar tax’ proposed by SA Power Networks and setting a minimum, fair feed-in price for solar owners when they export surplus electricity back to the grid,” Scaysbrook said.
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition also welcomed the zero emissions commitment, and has urged the SA government to back this up with the adoption of the panel’s recommendation of 100% renewables for the state.
“It’s great to see Premier Weatherill stepping up and committing South Australia to being carbon pollution free by 2050,” said Dan Spencer, South Australian campaigner with the AYCC.
“We now want to see Jay Weatherill take this opportunity and commit to powering SA with renewables,” he said.
The AYCC also said it hoped the SA government’s announcement would increase the pressure on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to do more.
“This announcement comes just days before world leaders meet in Paris to discuss action on climate change and the community will be out in force this weekend calling for stronger action.
“We welcome the Premier’s announcement, it’s time for the Prime Minister to up his game,” Spencer said.
