E&OE….
Topics: Great Barrier Reef, coral bleaching, climate change, CSIRO
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
Minister, welcome to the program.
GREG HUNT:
Good morning.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
This is pretty stark confirmation of what's happening in the world, isn't it? Are we all acting fast enough, and is Australia doing enough?
GREG HUNT:
Look I think the world has to continue to do more and more, both in terms of climate change but also water quality.
What we saw at the Paris conference was a landmark agreement. That came on top of the Dubai roadmap to reduce 90 billion tonnes of emissions in relation to the ozone-depleting gases, which are related.
And now we are deeply engaged in the work to build reef resilience through reducing sediment and nitrogen runoff – which has an impact on the capacity of the reef to adapt to harsh weather conditions – a crown of thorns eradication program, and we're beginning three new programs right now to assist with the monitoring and baseline work: a national coral taskforce program, which is starting now in terms of aerial surveillance; the Reef Ranger, which is the new world-class monitoring vessel, is undertaking new work over the coming weeks; and today I'm in the position to announce that we will, as a Federal Government, be supporting the work of the University of Queensland Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg for one of the world's most significant coral baseline studies over the coming months.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
Okay, is this, as you heard there, the Queensland Minister saying the Government needs to do more – needs to do more in a broader sense, though, not just about the Barrier Reef, but is this enough in the first instance, do you think, to satisfy them?
GREG HUNT:
Well look I think the important point is we're not just on track to meet and beat our 2020 targets; we have lifted Labor's minus 5 per cent for 2020 to a minus 26 to minus 28 per cent target for 2030.
So we will meet and beat our 2020 targets, that's going to happen and we're on track to meet our 2030 targets, which are a dramatic increase – a 900 million tonne reduction – over what was previously the case.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
Okay, but let's drill down into the targets because it's often said the 2020 targets are a victory for accounting because we rely on our carry-over credits to meet those targets.
We are still going to rely on those carry-over credits to meet our 2030 targets too, aren't we?
GREG HUNT:
Well I think that's actually not the case because there's been no certification of the rules for the 2020 to 2030 period.
And unlike the ALP, we have predicted and modelled that all of our gap – the 900 million tonne gap that we need to make up – will be done through domestic action: the Renewable Energy Target, the Emissions Reduction Fund, the safeguards mechanism, and the new vehicle emission standards, ozone protection standards and a National Energy Efficiency Plan.
So one of the most comprehensive plans in the world to reduce emissions, which we're not only putting into action, but which we're already achieving and exceeding.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
But it is true, isn't it, that we will be counting those credits in the 2030 figures?
GREG HUNT:
Well the 2020 figures include carry-over; the 2030 figures are not based on that.
And this was the, not just the accounting system that we inherited from the ALP, but the very condition which they mandated as fundamental to participating in what's called the Kyoto II or 2020 targets.
But we're going to meet and beat our 2020 targets. The latest figures are likely to show that we will beat them by more than we have currently said.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
Sure, but again, other nations – Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, even Britain – have announced they'll cancel their emissions reductions credits, which will allow them to technically meet their targets too.
So why wouldn't we do that? Why wouldn't we make a statement like that?
GREG HUNT:
Well at this point what we're doing is beating and exceeding our targets.
And let's see what happens as we get closer to 2020 because the latest data, which I've seen emerging from within the Department of Environment, is – the next quarterly statement will show that we're on track to do even better than we had currently put in place.
And so the trend on our emissions is not just good, but deeply and powerfully important; and that is we set our targets and we continue to exceed the goals which we've had for the nation, and so we'll be a stronger and stronger position.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
Okay, goals aside though, isn't it the case that even though we've set our targets, our emissions do rise over time until 2030? They continue to rise, don't they?
GREG HUNT:
No I believe that we have reached what's sometimes known as peak emissions.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
Right, so it's going to fall from here?
GREG HUNT:
Our emissions have fallen from their 2005 high point, and my best estimate is that we are unlikely as a nation ever to surpass that again.
We are already over 60 million tonnes lower than our national peak emissions in 2005-6.
And what we see is that whilst there, is that we are more than 100 million tonnes lower for our current 2020 track than was the case in Labor's last set of predictions.
So a 100 million tonne reduction for just one year alone, compared with when Labor left office. So deep…
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
It's a big prediction to make, though, isn't it, that we're not going to ever get higher than we are now?
GREG HUNT:
We – in my best judgement, advice, information from the Department – reached peak emissions in 2005-6.
As I say, we're 60 million tonnes below that. And I think the course of history to come for Australia is that we will continue to be below that figure.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
Okay, just quickly, it does now look likely, though, after these warnings today that we may not be able to prevent the two degree rise that everybody is talking about – is it time to rethink the job cuts to the CSIRO's climate institute?
GREG HUNT:
Well I think the CSIRO – and again, it's another portfolio and an independent agency – is looking at…
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
Pretty important one in your portfolio though.
GREG HUNT:
…looking at reallocating their work – now I'll let them speak to that – but maintaining climate work but with a different focus and emphasis, a much, on what the head of the CSIRO has said, a much greater focus on mitigation or reducing emissions and adaptation.
So dealing with questions such as how best to equip the Great Barrier Reef. And how do we equip the Great Barrier Reef?
We reduce the runoff, we eradicate crown of thorns, and we are part of a great, global compact to reduce overall emissions.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
But we are cutting, up to a, quite a significant number of jobs from the climate research units, aren't we?
GREG HUNT:
Well look I will wait to see their final plan. What they have said they will do is to reallocate staff from one element of climate work to another element to deal with the real and immediate challenge of emissions reduction and protecting the great national icons and indeed the great global icons such as the Barrier Reef.
At the end of the day, is the challenge real? Yes. But am I fundamentally optimistic? Yes.
Can we do it without driving up electricity prices for individuals as is Mr Shorten's approach? Yes.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
Okay, Greg Hunt, we'll leave you there. Thanks very much for joining us.
GREG HUNT:
Many thanks, Michael.
(ENDS)