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With less than 8% of Australia’s population, South Australia has more than half of the nation’s wind power capacity and over a third of the nation’s grid-connected solar energy. In addition, more than $686 million in potential geothermal (or "hot rocks") investment is forecast for South Australia during the period from 2002 to 2013, representing more than 80% of all the geothermal activity throughout Australia in that eleven-year term.
At the centrepiece of the Government’s climate change commitment is the Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007, the nation's first climate change legislation, which sets out three targets to:
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the State by at least 60% of 1990 levels by the end of 2050
- increase the proportion of renewable electricity generated so it comprises at least 20% of electricity generated in the State by the end of 2014
- increase the proportion of renewable electricity consumed so it comprises at least 20% of electricity consumed in the State by the end of 2014.
The Government also has commitments to:
- continue to implement South Australia’s Greenhouse Strategy
- support the Premier’s Climate Change Council, and in particular facilitate its consultations with industry and the wider community
- develop foundational sectoral agreements with business and local government to recognise, promote and facilitate strategies to meet South Australia’s greenhouse targets
- roll out mini wind turbine trial to government buildings
- develop and implement plans to reduce South Australia’s ecological footprint by 30% by 2050
- develop and implement a state-wide climate change awareness raising and behaviour change program
- implement government carbon neutrality commitments
- continue to contribute to the COAG Working Group on Climate Change and work program
- collaborate across government to ensure the Commonwealth Government establishes a consistent set of carbon-offset rules for Australia that can be successfully applied in South Australia.
Learn more about how South Australia is tackling climate change at www.climatechange.sa.gov.au. (external site)
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