Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business) Share this | Hansard source

Labor supports the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Legislation Amendment Bill 2017. The bill continues the implementation of the Montreal protocol, which was made law in Australia during the Hawke government and is considered one of the most successful global environmental agreements. Action needs to be taken on phasing down HFCs, hydrofluorocarbons, as they are a greenhouse gas 1,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Although they make up only around two per cent of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, their contribution has been increasing, because they are being used to replace other ozone-depleting chemicals that are being phased out under the Montreal protocol. Hydrofluorocarbons are organic compounds of hydrogen, fluorine and carbon. They are produced synthetically and are used primarily as refrigerants. They became widely used beginning in the late 1980s, with the introduction of the protocol that phased out the use of chemicals such as halons and chlorofluorocarbons that contributed to the depletion of the Earth's ozone layer.

However, while HFCs have an ozone depletion potential of zero, they are incredibly powerful greenhouse gases and thus their manufacture and use has become increasingly regulated in the 21st century. This will mean Australia's phase-down is consistent with the international HFC phase-down under the protocol that was agreed in Kigali in October last year. The phase-down will be managed through the existing licence system under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act, and import quota limits will be managed under the Ozone Protection Act. The international agreement underpinning these changes is to phase down HFC imports by 85 per cent in developed countries, starting in 2019 and ending in 2036. I have been advised that Australia is well placed to meet and exceed the global phase-down and will start one year earlier in 2018 with a limit 25 per cent below the Montreal protocol limit. Industry supports the earlier start and lower limit, and I commend them for their proactive work in this area. The Montreal protocol is widely regarded as the most successful environmental treaty. It has phased out over 99 per cent of ozone-depleting chemicals such as CFCs, HCFCs and halons. It is a real indication of what the world can do when it decides to act and the important role Australia can play in these incredibly important environmental actions.

The government may try to claim that this is a key element of Australia's 2030 emission targets. Make no mistake: it is a good commitment, but Australia's current climate policies are not sufficient to achieve even its current commitment to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 per cent by 2030 on 2005 levels. The coalition government's direct action plan has proven beyond any doubt to be an ineffective waste of taxpayers' money. The government's own data shows carbon pollution rising since the coalition implemented direct action, with their own data projecting emissions rising all the way to 2030, which is as far as the projections go. In fact, the government's data shows that the government will miss their target of a 26 to 28 per cent pollution reduction by 2030 by a full 26 per cent. The data shows that emissions in 2030 will effectively be the same as in 2005, showing zero progress for 25 years. The government's policies will not constrain, let alone reduce, emissions to 2020, let alone 2030.

If the government is serious about meeting its obligations under the Paris Agreement they will have to strengthen their 2030 targets as well as implement real policies to reduce emissions, especially in the electricity sector. The Paris Agreement includes a ratchet mechanism that will see countries increase their pledges to meet the two-degree target. Current pledges under the Paris Agreement are consistent with three to four degrees of warming, but the government pretends that their 26 to 28 per cent target is all they will have to do. They know that this is not true, and they know that by ignoring this fact they are effectively misleading the Australian people.

In contrast, Labor's target—45 per cent by 2030—is consistent with what the Climate Change Authority has said is needed to reach the two-degree target. It seems unlikely that the Prime Minister has the will or the ability to stand up to the extreme Right in his own party and to deliver the policy leadership we need to modernise our energy system. China, New Zealand, Brazil and more are all asking important questions about this government's lack of climate and energy policy to meet our Paris Agreement commitments. Just as they refuse to give answers at home, they are refusing to answer international concerns about their policy black hole.

The Turnbull government also refuses to introduce policy to support renewable energy investment post-2020, which is crucial if we are to meet our Paris obligations. The current figures show that Australia's pollution rose by 0.8 per cent in the year to June 2016 and almost 2.5 per cent since June 2014. The data also shows a shocking 16.2 per cent in annual electricity emissions in the last two years alone. Power bills and pollution will continue to rise as a direct result of Malcolm Turnbull's and his government's decision. Labor has a proud environment record, and we support strong action on protection of Australia's unique environment as well as global action on climate change.

See this speech in context