Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

The government has been committed to a lowering greenhouse gas policy for a decade now. It is internationally recognised as leading across a whole range of areas. That is one of the reasons that the deputy secretary of my department, Mr Howard Bamsey, has been asked to co-chair the key United Nations framework convention dialogue on trying to develop an effective post-Kyoto regime.

We know that, under Kyoto, greenhouse gas emissions will increase by around 40 per cent. We know that Kyoto ignores roughly 70 per cent of the world’s emissions. We know, for example, that a range of European countries that have signed up to Kyoto—and this is in answer to Senator Allison’s question about price signals and carbon trading—have created a European trading scheme. Most of the countries within that trading scheme will fail to meet their targets under the Kyoto protocol and many of the countries within that carbon trading scheme—where you effectively get Labor’s policy of a trading scheme and a new carbon tax which will drive energy prices up—will have emissions growth that is higher than Australia’s.

I will just pick some countries to get these on the record. Denmark will overshoot their Kyoto target by 25 per cent. Austria will overshoot their Kyoto target by 22 per cent. Their emissions growth is likely to be higher than Australia’s. They are on target to have 109 per cent emissions growth when Australia is on target for 108 per cent. France, which has a substantial reliance on nuclear power, will see their emissions growth overshoot their target by nine per cent; they are on track to reach about 109 per cent during the first Kyoto period. Ireland will overshoot by 20 per cent; they are on track for 133 per cent emissions growth. Spain will overshoot by 36 per cent; that is 151 per cent emissions growth. Portugal will reach 152 per cent growth and Norway will reach 123 per cent.

All of these countries are within the European trading scheme, which Labor and the Democrats support. It is difficult for Labor to get their idea of this national emissions trading scheme up because, as you will remember, Mr President, last time we discussed this trading scheme I was able to say that before question time WA had pulled out of the scheme, and I predicted that by dinnertime Queensland would as well. So I might as well complete my artwork here. Queensland is out. So Labor’s policy is dead. They only have one state left.

Senator Allison also asked about our low emissions demonstration and deployment fund. We have not only put in place that fund, which I and the minister for industry will be announcing the successful applications for, but we have also funded an additional $1.5 billion worth of programs in the renewable sector, across a range of technologies. This government believes that you need a range of technological solutions. We say to those people on the left of politics, ‘If you think you can solve this problem by simply relying on wind and solar and energy efficiency, you are as wrong as those people on the right who say that you can solve it purely with nuclear.’ In fact, you need, across the globe, nuclear power to be expanded. The Prime Minister has shown leadership by saying it is a head in the sand attitude to not look at Australia’s role in the nuclear fuel cycle. You need a range of technologies. You need to clean up coal; you need to capture carbon from burning coal and geosequester it. If you do not do that, you will not solve the problem. (Time expired)