2020 - Dec 9th - Infrastructure Victoria 30-year strategy offers blueprint for zero-waste, zero-emissions post-COVID future

 As Victorians begin planning for life beyond COVID-19, Infrastructure Victoria has released a 30-year blueprint for the state's future, with a heavy focus on climate, energy, and sustainability.

In a detailed strategy, the state's independent infrastructure advisors make 95 recommendations aimed at creating a zero-waste, zero-emissions economy by 2050.

"The COVID crisis has created a seismic shift in how Victorians live and work," chief executive Michel Masson said.

"Now is the time to harness the positive changes we've seen, and facilitate a transition to a better new normal."

The recommendations, released for public comment today, cover a broad range of traditional and non-traditional infrastructure issues — from transport and technology, to waste and water recycling, to green space and regional tourism.

But at the top of the list is a series of proposals to make the transition to zero emissions by 2050 — beginning with a proposal to phase out all internal combustion engine vehicles over the next 30 years, beginning with the government fleet and public buses.

Other proposals would require all new homes would have an 8-star energy rating by 2025, and for the state's electricity grid to be upgraded to cope with the spread of rooftop solar and new wind and solar farms in regional Victoria.

Some recommendations, however, stray into less obvious territory for Infrastructure Victoria — such as a target of 30 per cent tree canopy cover in new suburbs on the urban fringe.

"To put that in context, Melbourne's leafy eastern suburbs have about 25 per cent tree cover," Mr Masson said.

"We've seen throughout the pandemic how much local communities value green open space.

"Tree canopies and vegetation are 'no regrets' investments that help cool urban environments, provide shade and cooling, support biodiversity and improve human health."

Call for congestion charge for Melbourne's CBD and on all new freeways

Not surprisingly, the strategy has plenty to say about transport — calling for the revival of the Murray Basin Rail Plan, new tram and train lines to serve growth suburbs on the urban fringe, and abolishing the free tram zone in the CBD.

The State Government has adopted previous Infrastructure Victoria recommendations, like distance-based charges for electric vehicles, and trialling peak pricing on the public transport network.

"Our evidence shows that will help get people back on public transport and reduce congestion," said Mr Masson.

"Our draft strategy takes it a step further, recommending off‐peak fares become a permanent fixture in Melbourne, in addition to offering cheaper fares for trams and buses at all times."

But the strategy goes even further, especially on pricing. It recommends congestion charges in the CBD, as well as on all new freeways, and an end to free parking at train stations and park-and-rides.

It recommends a major five-year expansion of the bicycle network in Melbourne, Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong, with separated cycleways, more bike parking at train stations, and an interconnected open space network across the city.

Other recommendations cover waste and recycling, telecommunications, social housing, and health.

Infrastructure Victoria says it now wants to hear what the Victorian public has to say, and will consult with the community until February 26, before presenting the final strategy to the State Government in the middle of next year.

"Throughout 2020, Victorians have demonstrated we are adaptable, resilient and prepared to make big changes when needed," Mr Masson said.

"In the decades ahead, we will need to maintain that spirit in the face of technological disruption, climate change, lower population growth and unexpected challenges."

Key recommendations:

Energy

• Phase out internal combustion engines by 2050
• All new homes 8-star energy rated by 2025
• Existing homes for sale or rent be required to disclose their energy rating
• Upgrade electricity grid for new renewable energy
• Scrap mandatory gas connections for new homes

Water

• Remove barriers to using recycled water for drinking
• More harvesting of stormwater and desalination
• Irrigation pipeline network in regional Victoria

Transport

• New tram services to Fishermans Bend, Arden, Maribyrnong
• Redesign existing tram routes with more capacity in inner Melbourne
• Reconfigure City Loop for more cross-city train services
• Congestion charges for inner Melbourne, new freeways
• Build separated cycleways in metro and regional Victoria
• Lower charges to use trams and buses rather than trains
• Abolish free tram zone

Urban living

• Create an interconnected open space network
• Target of 30 per cent tree canopy cover in suburbs
• More low-income and social housing

Regional Victoria

• Improve digital connectivity
• Upgrade power supply for agriculture and manufacturing
• Use rural schools' broadband for children's specialist and telehealth services
• Develop nature-based and Aboriginal tourism
• Build regional drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities

2020 - Dec 5th - WA planning one of world's longest continuous electric car networks under climate policy

 Western Australia plans to build one of the longest continuous electric vehicle networks in the world and has committed $100 million to a previously-mooted battery to stabilise the power network.

They are part of a suite of measures worth $300 million the WA Government has announced as part of its climate policy, with the "aspirational" aim of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

But the Conservation Council of WA said the policy failed the key test on cutting pollution, because it did not set legislated targets to reduce greenhouse gasses.

To encourage people to buy electric cars, the Government will spend $21 million building Australia's longest electric vehicle fast-charging network.

"You'll be able to drive from Esperance to Perth, out to Kalgoorlie if you want, or north to Kununurra," Innovation and ICT Minister Dave Kelly said.

There are currently 1,500 electric vehicles in WA, equating to 1 per cent of all vehicles in the state.

"It is estimated that the cost of electric vehicles will actually meet the costs of conventional vehicles sometime in the next five to 10 years, so it's actually very soon," Mr Kelly said.

"But you've got to make sure the infrastructure is ready."

The State Government has also committed to buying 25 per cent electric vehicles for the state fleet when possible, a move that will involve installing EV charging stations in government buildings.

Mega-battery to 'stabilise' grid

The Government has committed more than $100 million to a 100 megawatt battery in Kwinana, with the battery set to equal the size of 22 tennis courts.

It will be designed to store excess solar energy and stabilise the power network.

"It will ensure that for up to two hours up to 160,000 households can be powered if needed," Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said.

A contract to build the battery is due to be awarded by May 2021, and the Government estimates the battery could be built and working by September 2022.

The climate strategy also includes $15 million for carbon farming to store carbon in the environment, and a total of $28 million towards a hydrogen fund and hydrogen projects.

Premier Mark McGowan said because hydrogen could be produced using sea water and solar energy, it could provide an endless source of renewable base load power, which countries like Japan and South Korea were very interested in.

"This will mean Western Australia can continue this development pathway to create potentially one of biggest industries in the world in coming years and make sure that we have base load power that is produced in a renewable way and is reliable at all times of the day and night," he said.

Mr Dawson said he was confident WA did not need to legislate for net zero emissions because the Government was working well with industry, adding companies such as FMG and Woodside were already on board.

"They are on the same trajectory," Mr Dawson said.

Critics say Paris Agreement 'undermined'

The Conservation Council dismissed those claims by Mr Dawson, saying there was no plan to cut growing emissions from WA's biggest polluters in the gas industry.

"WA is the only state in Australia with rising carbon pollution and this policy offers no concrete plan or targets to get this pollution under control," the council's director Piers Verstegen said.

"This undermines efforts under the Paris Agreement and could put the nail in the coffin even for Australia's modest national emissions reduction targets."

The Conservation Council welcomed the electric vehicle and hydrogen announcements but said they were very modest compared to other states.

It noted the New South Wales Government had announced a $32 billion plan for renewable energy and batteries.

"The policy released today must be built upon with much more work and detail before it can be considered a credible approach to this issue form our State Government," Mr Verstegen said.

2020 - Dec 2nd - World awaits action by 'suicidal' Australia, says former climate chief

 The world is waiting for a "suicidal" Australia to reverse its stance on climate change, says one of the world's most senior diplomats.

Christiana Figueres, who was executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change through the Paris Agreement talks, said the world expected more from Australia in the lead-up to the so-called COP26 climate talks to be held in Glasgow next November.

"The climate wars that have been going on in Australia for over a decade now are just – honestly they are such a suicidal situation because Australia... holds such promise with renewable energy," she told John Connor, chief executive of the Carbon Market Institute, in a conversation recorded for the Australasian Emissions Reductions Summit, which begins online on Wednesday.

"There is no other country that has as much sun potential as Australia," said Ms Figueres, who is now the director of the global climate movement Mission 2020.

"I've been pretty vocal about my frustration for so many years of a completely unstable, volatile, unpredictable stand and position on climate change in Australia."

She likened the possibility that Australia might use what the government calls carry-over credits from the Kyoto agreement to using points scored in one sporting match towards the results of another.

"It is just a total lack of integrity and not something that does Australia proud," she said.

Last month Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that he believed Australia may be able to reach Paris targets without relying on Kyoto credits.

In a second conversation for the conference, United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment chief executive Fiona Reynolds said anyone who failed to accept that climate sustainability had now moved into the mainstream and was being embedded in financial regulations would soon be left behind.

She said that soon it would not be enough to ask individual companies to set net-zero targets, because investors were now demanding such targets across their whole portfolios.

She predicted that the next frontier in investing would be in so-called negative emissions technologies and practices, which reduce the amount of greenhouse gas already in the atmosphere.

Climate solutions based on avoiding deforestation and other "viable near-term opportunities" in removing carbon could generate $US800 billion in revenues by 2050 and assets valued at well over $US1.2 trillion, more than the current value of the major oil and gas companies.

The conference is being held in the lead-up to a December 12 United Nations meeting in which national governments will be invited to present more ambitious climate plans – including COVID-19 recovery plans – designed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius.

Others to address the first day of the conference on Wednesday include Alok Sharma, president of COP26 and British Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Jim Skea of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as well as Australian business leaders Shayne Elliott from ANZ and Mike Cannon-Brookes of Atlassian.

2020 - Nov 24th - Buru Energy withdraw Kimberley to Pilbara Pipeline proposal

For 11 years Buru Energy has had a proposal for a fracked gas pipeline from the Kimberley to the Pilbara lodged with the Federal Government under the E.P.B.C. act. On the 6th of November 2020 the proposal was withdrawn.

While the ‘spin’ has been that 98% of WA has been protected from fracking, the reality is that five million hectares of the State is now open to this polluting industry. Half the state’s fracking leases are in the Kimberley.

The Fitzroy River catchment, Roebuck Plains, La Grange and the Great Sandy Desert are all in the fracking firing line!

 

2020 - Nov 22nd - The Australian Government is surrounded by leaders taking climate action. Will it step up?

 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-22/the-world-strides-global-warming-australian-government-behind/12904200

The Morrison Government is surrounded by state governments, foreign trading partners, local businesses and big investors who are moving ahead to transition the world to net zero emissions by 2050.

The past few weeks have shown that Australia has only two choices when it comes to our climate-heating greenhouse gas emissions: sink good money after bad in polluting industries, or invest in the clean industries of the future.

As much as it might look like Australia is seeking one, there is no viable third option.

As the world strides ahead to try to stop global warming at 1.5C, Australia could risk being isolated and missing out on the opportunities the transition poses. Five years after Australia signed up to the Paris Agreement, the Australian Government is now surrounded by leaders making progress towards its aims — a task most would say Scott Morrison is not enthusiastically embracing.

A new incumbent in the White House and a reversal of US policy is just the start: Morrison will be dealing with a very different playing field in 2021.

A series of dramatic events over the past month have shown that a transition to net zero emissions will occur around 2050. A transition of that nature can either be done in a coordinated way — one that exploits the potential benefits — or in an uncoordinated way, which is likely to see few of the benefits but still be hit with downsides.

Just look at what our main trading partners are doing.

There's no doubt where our economy will go

China has committed to net zero emissions by 2060. China is our biggest overall trading partner, the biggest buyer of Australian thermal coal (taking about 20 per cent of all our exports), and the second biggest buyer of Australian gas (taking about 17 per cent of our LNG exports).

At about the same time, Japan and South Korea committed to net zero emissions even earlier — by 2050. Together, those two countries buy 33 per cent of our exported gas and 21 per cent of our exported thermal coal.

And looking at our top trading partners together, there's no doubt where our economy will go — by choice or otherwise.

Country	Exports from Australia	Net zero goal
China	$150.5 billion	Net zero by 2060
Japan	$52.8 billion	Net zero by 2050
EU	$33.4 billion	Net zero by 2050
South Korea	$25.1 billion	Net zero by 2050
USA	$17.5 billion	Net zero by 2050*
UK	$15.6 billion	Net zero by 2050
India	$10.8 billion	No commitment
New Zealand	$10 billion	Net zero by 2050

*Commitment made by president-elect Joe Biden. Sources: ABS and DFAT.

These massive transformations by Australia's trading partners mean changes will be imposed on our economy from the outside. Fossil fuel exports will dry up, tariffs could be placed on carbon-intensive products, and demand for clean energy will skyrocket.

Without guiding our economy towards those clean industries, and helping dirty industries transition, we're likely to be disproportionately affected by the downsides of this transformation.

In Australia, we don't have any robust federal policy to guide this transition in a meaningful way.

The Morrison Government's key policy is the so-called Technology Investment Roadmap. That policy doesn't have an emissions goal for Australia, and the bureaucrats that worked on it told Parliament last week they didn't have analysis showing how the policy would impact Australia's emissions by 2030.

In fact, in documents obtained by The Australia Institute, the Government admits the abatement expected under the roadmap is just a guess — it wasn't really modelled at all.

The modelling Australia has released shows no significant cuts to emissions to 2030.

And to meet our promise to cut emissions to 26 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, forecasts show we will only get there by claiming credits for beating targets from earlier climate agreements — the so-called "Kyoto carry-over credits", the validity of which is widely questioned.

The Federal Government is on its own

It's not just Australia's trading partners leaving our Federal Government's position isolated. It's also our own state and territory governments.

Every single state and territory in Australia has declared they will aim to reach net zero emissions by 2050. So Australia does actually plan on doing that — the only thing we're lacking is federal coordination for how it will happen.

Among those states, the Liberal-National NSW government this month announced some of the strongest policies to reach that target. It plans to build a massive 12 gigawatts of renewable energy in the next decade, supported by two gigawatts of storage.

Also this month, the Liberal Tasmanian government passed a 200 per cent renewables target through the lower house.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government is also being left behind by Australian investors and big business. Most of Australia's five biggest super funds have committed to reducing the emissions of their investments to net zero by 2050.

Within the last month ANZ has committed to align its business to support a transition to a net zero economy and Woolworths (Australia's sixth-largest electricity user) committed to go 100 per cent renewable within five years. Even business groups like the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Industry Group support net zero by 2050 targets.

In the end, a federal net zero target for 2050 would carry little meaning on its own, since every jurisdiction within the federation already has that target. But if it was formally acknowledged by the Federal Government, it could help what really matters: guiding policies to help achieve the goal.

Politics, politics, politics

Emissions reduction minister Angus Taylor says the Federal Government does want Australia to reach net zero emissions "as soon as possible" and that it will happen before 2100.

In launching the Technology Investment Roadmap, Taylor argued that "long term targets without a plan" would "penalise energy-intensive industries and reduce economic activity".

He argued that other countries, "particularly our largest trading partners, are reluctant to commit to policies and targets with material economic costs".

That seems completely true. But what was not said was that those trading partners see great economic benefit in their much stronger targets and the policies that enact them.

It is no secret that climate policy has been a poison chalice for the federal Coalition and Labor alike, having claimed the heads of many leaders and prime ministers.

So it could be politically convenient to leave climate policy to the states, where governments of both political persuasions are getting on with the job.

Politically, that might let be win-win for the federal Coalition. But it leaves the federation without a coordinated approach — and a united front to show the world it's taking the global problem seriously.

States can do a lot of the work, albeit less efficiently. But there are some things they can't do. They can't themselves do what the UK and other countries are doing and plan a transition towards electric vehicles, for example.

They can't introduce fuel efficiency standards, helping Australia catch up to the rest of the world, while simultaneously reducing emissions and costs to consumers.

And they can't easily drive a shift away from a reliance on fossil fuel exports towards commodities that will still have a significant market in a decade or two.

When asked if he was worried about our fossil fuel exports, Taylor seemed relaxed, telling Sky News this week he was confident those commodities will have a market "for years to come" and that the mix of commodities "will change" but that "was natural".

But one can't help wondering if addressing that transition — and planning for it to happen — might be a better strategy than letting it happen to us.

2020 - Nov 18th - Britain will ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030

 Britain will ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 as part of a “green industrial revolution” that will “transform living in the UK’’ and make it the first G7 country to decarbonise road transport.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said even hybrid cars, which have proven popular across the country, would be phased out by 2035.

He said in addition to banning petrol and diesel cars, Britain would have a neighbourhood powered by hydrogen within two years and an entire town of tens of thousands of homes heated with hydrogen by 2030. More than £500m will be immediately invested­ in developing hydrogen for heating and cooking.

The plan is for Britain to be a green pioneer and comes ahead of next year’s UN climate change summit.

“My 10-point plan will create, support and protect hundreds of thousands of green jobs, whilst making strides towards net zero by 2050.’’

Most of the jobs will be created in the north of England and across the Midlands, as well as in Scotland and Wales.

Mr Johnson’s new timeline has brought forward the end of petrol and diesel cars by a decade and fast-tracks plans to support electric vehicles with a rollout of £1.3bn worth of electric vehicle chargepoints in homes and on streets.

The government will begin ­offering £582m in grants to encourage­ the purchase of zero- or ultra-low-emission vehicles. A similar amount will be spent in the next four years on advancing the production of electric vehicle batteries.

“This will put the UK on course to be the first road country to decarbonise road transport,’’ Mr Johnson said.

The plan also includes investing heavily in more offshore wind farms to quadruple production and produce enough energy to power every home in the country in nine years.

While wind power is desig­nated for the home; energy for ­industry and transport will be ­hydrogen based. There are plans to generate 5GW of low-carbon hydrogen production by the end of the decade.

Mr Johnson is advancing ­nuclear as a clean energy source, and developing the next generation of small and advanced reactors. In addition, 30,000ha of trees will be planted every year.

Greenpeace supported the transport measures, saying they helped to tackle the climate emergency, but said the plans fell short by looking to nuclear and ­hydrogen.

“It’s a shame the Prime Minister remains fixated on other speculative solutions, such as ­nuclear and hydrogen from fossil fuels, that will not be taking us to zero emissions any time soon, if ever,” it added.

Labour said the measures did not go far enough and claimed the strategy was “deeply, deeply disappointing’’.

Ed Miliband, the shadow business secretary, said the measures would not be introduced quickly enough. “This isn’t fundamentally a green stimulus, it’s ­nowhere near the scale of what is required,’’ he said, highlighting how Germany and France had pledged tens of billions of euros to combat climate change.

2020 - Nov 19th- San Francisco just banned gas in all new buildings. Could it ever happen in Australia?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-19/san-francisco-just-banned-gas-in-all-new-buildings.-could-it-ev/12896666 

Natural gas provides about 26 per cent of energy consumed in Australia — but it's clearly on the way out.

Last week San Francisco became the latest city to ban natural gas in new buildings. The legislation will see all new construction, other than restaurants, use electric power only from June 2021, to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

San Francisco has now joined other US cities in banning natural gas in new homes.

The move is in stark contrast to the direction of energy policy in Australia, where the Morrison Government seems stuck in reverse: spruiking a gas-led economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Natural gas provides about 26 per cent of energy consumed in Australia — but it's clearly on the way out. It's time for a serious rethink on the way many of us cook and heat our homes.

Cutting out gas

San Francisco is rapidly increasing renewable-powered electricity to meet its target of 100 per cent clean energy by 2030. Currently, renewables power 70 per cent  of the city's electricity.

The ban on gas came shortly after San Francisco's mayor London Breed announced all commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet must run on 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2022.

Buildings are particularly in focus because 44 per cent of San Francisco's citywide emissions come from the building sector alone.

Following this, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the ban on gas in buildings.

They cited the potency of methane as a greenhouse gas, and recognised that natural gas is a major source of indoor air pollution, leading to improved public health outcomes.

From January 1, 2021, no new building permits will be issued unless constructing an "All-Electric Building". This means installation of natural gas piping systems, fixtures and/or infrastructure will be banned, unless it is a commercial food service establishment.

Switching to all-electric homes

In the shift to zero-emissions economies, transitioning our power grids to renewable energy has been the subject of much focus. But buildings produce 25 per cent of Australia's emissions, and the sector must also do some heavy lifting.

A report by the Grattan Institute this week recommended a moratorium on new household gas connections, similar to what's been imposed in San Francisco.

The report said natural gas will inevitably decline as an energy source for industry and homes in Australia. This is partly due to economics — as most low-cost gas on Australia's east coast has been burnt.

There's also an environmental imperative, because Australia must slash its fossil fuel emissions to address climate change.

While acknowledging natural gas is widely used in Australian homes, the report said "this must change in coming years". It went on:

This will be confronting for many people, because changing the cooktops on which many of us make dinner is more personal than switching from fossil fuel to renewable electricity.

The report said space heating is by far the largest use of gas by Australian households, at about 60 per cent. In the cold climates of Victoria and the ACT, many homes have central gas heaters. Homes in these jurisdictions use much more gas than other states.

By contrast, all-electric homes with efficient appliances produce fewer emissions than homes with gas, the report said.

Zero-carbon buildings

Australia's states and territories have much work to do if they hope to decarbonise our building sector, including reducing the use of gas in homes.

In 2019, Australia's federal and state energy ministers committed to a national plan towards zero-carbon buildings for Australia. The measures included "energy smart" buildings with on-site renewable energy generation and storage and, eventually, green hydrogen to replace gas.

The plan also involved better disclosure of a building's energy performance.

To date, Australia's states and territories have largely focused on voluntary green energy rating tools, such as the National Australian Built Environment Rating System. This measures factors such as energy efficiency, water usage and waste management in existing buildings.

But in 2020, just 2 per cent of buildings in Australia achieved the highest six-star rating. Clearly, the voluntary system has done little to encourage the switch to clean energy.

The National Construction Code requires mandatory compliance with energy efficiency standards for new buildings.

However, the code takes a technology neutral approach and does not require buildings to install zero-carbon energy "in the absence of an explicit energy policy commitment by governments regarding the future use of gas".

An economically sensible move

An estimated 200,000 new homes are built in Australia each year. This represents an opportunity for states and territories to create mandatory clean energy requirements while reaching their respective net-zero emissions climate targets.

Under a gas ban, the use of zero-carbon energy sources in buildings would increase, similar to San Francisco. This has been recognised by Environment Victoria, which notes

A simple first step […] to start reducing Victoria's dependence on gas is banning gas connections for new homes.

Creating incentives for alternatives to gas may be another approach, such as offering rebates for homes that switch to electrical appliances. The ACT is actively encouraging consumers to transition from gas.

Banning gas in buildings could be an economically sensible move. As the Grattan Report found, "households that move into a new all-electric house with efficient appliances will save money compared to an equivalent dual-fuel house".

Meanwhile, ARENA confirmed electricity from solar and wind provide the lowest levelised cost of electricity, due to the increasing cost of east coast gas in Australia.

Future-proofing new buildings will require extensive work, let alone replacing exiting gas inputs and fixtures in existing buildings. Yet efficient electric appliances can save the average NSW homeowner around $400 a year.

Learning to live sustainability, and becoming resilient in the face of climate change, is well worth the cost and effort.

Should we be cooking with gas?

Recently, a suite of our major gas importers — China, South Korea and Japan — all pledged to reach net-zero emissions by either 2050 or 2060. This will leave our export-focused gas industry possibly turning to the domestic market for new gas hookups.

But continuing Australia's gas production will increase greenhouse gas emissions, and few Australians support an economic recovery pinned on gas.

The window to address dangerous climate change is fast closing.

We must urgently seek alternatives to burning fossil fuels, and there's no better place to start that change than in our own homes.

Madeline Taylor is a lecturer at Sydney University. Susan M Park is a professor of global governance at the University of Sydney. This article originally appeared on The Conversation.