Queensland must reduce emissions by 75% by 2035, under new laws passed by state parliament on Thursday.
Qld Premier Steven Miles said the laws would put the state “on par“ with the most ambitious targets in the country.
Here’s what you need to know.
The laws
The Government passed two pieces of legislation addressing the effects of climate change.
The first was to create an emissions reductions target, and the second was to create a renewable energy target.
By enshrining these targets into law, future governments will be obligated to sustain efforts to reach the emission targets, provided they remain law.
Targets
- Reducing emissions by 75% from 2005 levels by 2035
- 80% of Qld electricity to be generated by renewable energy sources by 2035
- Net zero emissions by 2050
Opposition
The Qld Opposition backed the emissions reduction target, with Shadow Environment Minister Sam O’Connor saying “we must do all we can”. He called the 75% target “ambitious, but… achievable”.
However, the Opposition did not support the renewable energy target. Shadow Energy Minister Deb Frecklington said the legislation “shackles Queenslanders to blindly higher bills and unreliable supply”.
The Labor Government has a majority of seats in Parliament, so didn’t need opposition support to pass the legislation.
Emissions reduction around Australia
Several other states have legislated or have introduced legislation to enshrine emissions targets into law.
New South Wales has legislated a 50% reduction by 2030, and a 70% target by 2035. Last month, Victoria passed laws that added a 75-80% emissions reduction target by 2035. Neither Western Australia nor the Northern Territory have similar targets in place.
The Federal Government will be required to share its national targets for 2035 emissions reduction by next year.
