Charlotte Walker (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I note that this is not my first speech. Well, all I can say is: are you kidding? I speak not only for myself but as an advocate for younger Australians, who are facing an uncertain future. The motion put forward by Senator Hanson to scrap net zero indicates a severe lack of knowledge and a complete disregard for the future of our generation and the future of our country. Without a net zero target, there will be no Australian farmers, businesses or industries to support us. Net zero means waking up to a reality that Senator Hanson has not been able to grasp. In fact, Senator Hanson seems to be hell bent on exacerbating all of the consequences of climate change we have been warned about, all of the consequences that we are already seeing.

Climate change is impacting our environment now. I come from a farming community. I studied agriculture in high school. No sector should be more concerned about climate change than our agricultural industries, and no communities should be more concerned than our regional communities. Climate change is affecting our farmers and their livelihoods now.

In my home state of South Australia, we are seeing a once virtually pristine beach being ravaged by an algal bloom, with over 400 different species dying and being washed up on our beaches. We are holding our breath, hoping that the current, cooler weather will help cool the ocean and break up the bloom, which is threatening our thriving aquaculture. This bloom is the product of sea temperatures that have been about 2.5 degrees warmer than usual. This is one of the many unprecedented and extreme weather events that are directly attributable to global warming.

And it is happening on land too. Just last week, Need for Feed Australia sent truckloads of bales of hay to South Australian farmers, who are experiencing severe drought conditions, whilst in the eastern states we are seeing farmlands ravaged by extreme floods. Again, these are extreme weather events that are a direct consequence of global warming. It is agreed by scientists around the world that net zero is essential to combating this threat.

But our net zero target is also an economic driver. We aren't trading off, as Senator Hanson seems to believe. Renewables are the path to cheaper and more reliable power generation. We are absolutely committed to reaching 82 per cent renewable energy by 2030. We are investing in renewables in ways that also provide real economic benefits and cost-of-living relief. Senator Hanson is clearly out of touch with Australians, who are taking up renewables with gusto because they want to cut both emissions and their power bills.

One in three Australian households now have solar panels on their property. Due to our Cheaper Home Batteries Program, we expect to have one million new batteries in Australian homes by 2030. Clean energy is undeniably an economic driver too, with global investment of $2.2 trillion just this year in clean energy worldwide—double the amount going to fossil fuels.

In China, clean energy now drives 20 per cent of GDP growth. Clean energy is about economic competitiveness. However, our future without renewables is much more economically precarious. Australians are currently paying the price for an energy system built on unreliable, aging energy infrastructure. These old power sources are way too financially exposed to the forever unpredictable global fossil fuel market, meaning Australian consumers are way too exposed to power-cost hikes. I am deeply disappointed that the coalition has decided to be led by One Nation on an issue as important as this one. Imagine not being able to grasp that our target for net zero emissions will positively impact Australian families, farmers and businesses.

Net zero is about ensuring future agricultural viability, it's about economic competitiveness, it's a social justice issue and it's about intergenerational climate justice. I don't apologise for caring about these things, and that's the position of the vast majority of my generation. We are not fooled by the talk of expensive nuclear energy plants being built on a never-never timeframe with technology that isn't even fully developed yet. (Time expired)