The Climate Council has called on the Federal Government to take decisive action across solar power and climate change issues according to a review submitted to Parliament.
Across the submission there are nine recommendations which range from building energy systems to changes relating to transparency and data.
Among the report’s recommendations include introducing a solar loan scheme to schools. In this suggestion the government installs panels on schools and schools pay back what they cost over time with reduced energy bills.
Climate Council: Why change is needed
The climate council’s recommendations come after research conducted and collated by the organization shows just how bad the climate situation is within Australia.
We currently are ranked 16th on a list of highest emitters with 180 countries performing better than us according to the Global Carbon Project. Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie saying
“Australia’s pollution continues to go up and up. The Federal Government’s climate review is a critical opportunity to turn Australia from a laggard to a leader, putting in place policies to drive down emissions…”
Speaking to Energy Matters a representative from the Climate Council Dr Martin Rice went on to say,
“Climate change is intensifying extreme weather events in Australia. In order to meet our emissions reduction targets and protect Australians from worsening climate impacts, the climate council recommendations will help set course for Australia to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
What could be achieved
Some of the main outcomes of building a new energy system include
• Ramps up a diverse range of renewable energy, energy efficiency and storage technologies to enable the phase out of fossil fuelled electricity generation by 2040;
• Achieves at least 50% renewables by 2030;
• Is secure and robust, particularly in light of worsening extreme weather events; and
• Reaches net zero emissions well before 2050, aiming for 2040.
Other recommendations in the report include continued funding for the CSIRO, Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) as well as the removal of fossil fuel subsidies.
Currently at odds with these recommendations is the Adani Carmichael coal mine which is set to push back any renewable energy and climate change progress worsening Australia’s already harsh weather the organization claims.
