The Climate Council says many more Australian families can directly benefit from rooftop solar and batteries under a new plan that spells out how we can electrify the nation and cut climate pollution this decade.
Hot on the heels of the hottest year on record, the Seize the Decade report outlines a clear pathway for every sector of the economy to cut climate pollution so Australia can prosper as the world embraces clean energy like solar and wind.
Using proven and available technologies, the report concludes Australia can slash climate pollution by 75 per cent this decade by:
- Supercharging solar, wind and storage to build a bigger electricity system and reach 94 per cent renewable energy in our grid by 2030
- Putting solar panels on the rooftops of two in three Australian homes (24 gigawatts) to help power our lives and drive down the costs of living
- Shifting the way we move, by swapping polluting vehicles for cleaner, cheaper-to-run electric cars and choosing other, non-polluting transport options more often
- Making new buildings all-electric, electrifying existing homes and businesses and upgrading their energy efficiency
- Using clean energy and readily-available alternatives in our industrial processes to cut industrial use of coal by 41 per cent, oil by 86 per cent and gas by 31 per cent.
Slashing pollution
By maximising Australia’s world-class solar and wind resources, the Climate Council says we can close all coal-fired power stations and begin phasing out polluting gas by the end of this decade. This will slash climate and air pollution, and build a safer and healthier future for children.
Amanda McKenzie, Climate Council CEO said, ‘Australian communities are being hurled from flooding rains to scorching heatwaves to deadly fires, and back again. We understand more clearly than ever that life as we know it is under threat, and we must slash climate pollution this decade.
‘There is no safe level of climate pollution and everything we do to reduce it matters,’ she said.
‘We can seize the decade and drive down climate pollution by electrifying our nation and building out a modern industrial base that underpins our prosperity for generations to come.
‘Solutions that work across every part of our economy are proven, available, underway and ready to be scaled up. There can be no excuses for failing to protect our children’s future.’
Parents for Climate
Dr Harriet Fesq, Chair of Parents for Climate, said ‘All parents want the best for their children. Nothing is more important to us than our kids growing up happy, healthy and safe.
‘Everybody knows that climate pollution is doing us harm. As a parent, I worry about the consequences of burning even more coal, oil and gas for my kids.
‘Today’s choices shape the kind of world our kids inherit. Making deep and lasting cuts to climate pollution now means our kids breathe easier, have better health outcomes and work in good, long-term jobs. What parent wouldn’t want that for their kids?’
Renewables driving change
Tim Nelson, Climate Councillor and energy expert, said, ‘Australia has come a long way. Renewables now make up 40 per cent of our electricity needs, more of us drive electric vehicles than ever before, and one in three families already have solar panels on their roof. We’re on the right path, now we need to accelerate along it.
‘Seizing the decade means giving more power to the people, slashing climate pollution three times faster than we are now and retiring all coal-fired power stations. To do this, we need a bigger grid that’s 94 per cent powered by renewables, and we need to more than double the number of rooftops turning sunshine into energy.
‘Australia’s shift to a clean economy is under way, but we need to keep moving or we risk getting left behind. The Seize the Decade report shows how Australia can capitalise on our world-beating renewable resources and industry know-how to supercharge our momentum, make more things here and set our economy up for long-term success.’
You can read the full report here.
PM CoAlbo is starting to get the message, all things Renewable Energy is NOW, with his just recent visit to the Hunter to announce the Solar SunShot manufacturing program. It is years overdue thanks to the slackness of both Lab and LibNat administrations but all those $’shundredsofthousands Fossil Fuel Industry ‘donations’ that Lab and LibNat collect does have something to say about how things do happen or don’t happen.
I’m sure none of them have windmills and solar in their private investment portfolios. They wouldn’t want to personally benefit from the billions in subsidies they pure into them.
Not windmills.
No flour, but power.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
Joachy, guru of everything nuclear and knower of all, dream on alarmist. Nuclear is the only alternative for consistent baseload power, get the ABC’s RMIT lying factcheckers to check that. Dick Smith is correct, no country in the world has 100% renewables as their only energy source.
Greggy, guru of making stuff up – “no country in the world has 100% renewables as their only energy source.”
If you bothered yourself to do some basic research you would have stopped making a complete goose of yourself, again and again.
Here it comes Greggy my man, ( sourced from IRENA for 2021 ) countries with 100% electricity generation from renewable sources –
Albania, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Iceland, Nepal, Paraguay, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
As for Nuclear, it is the latest wet dream for the anti renewable energy mob.
If it can’t be coal, if it can’t be gas, if it can’t be carbon capture and then release it into the atmosphere anyway , then its gotta be the last chance saloon of …….New Clear. Lol.
Joachy, guru of inaccurate data and knower of all. I admit I did not refer to countries that use Hydro power production. The delusional Albo government aims to achieve 100% with solar and wind as their main source of power, in other words, no country in the world has 100% wind and solar power production. The countries you claim to have 100% renewable energy are mainly producing power from Hydro. If you look into their usage closely you will find large portions of power are indeed from hydro, however not 100% renewable, for example, Ethiopia also uses biomass and oil, Nepal uses biomass which contains wood from trees (environmentally friendly?) many others also use wood and gas. South Sandwich Islands has no permanent population today. All of the countries you specified as 100% renewable power production still import or use oil, gas, diesel, petrol, for vehicles or cooking, that will never change. The only goose in this equation Joachy is the goose that is quick to call people a goose. I would call you a goose however I choose not to denigrate a goose, they have more grey matter and morals than most alarmist lefty socialist greens… .. .
Joachy, guru of renewable power and knower of all, further to your countries with 100% renewable power, most of the countries you claim have 100% renewable power have much smaller populations than Australia, except Ethiopia. No great win for renewables to be seen here, countries with the ability to use hydro are indeed very lucky… .. . Glad to help?… .. ……………..