Premier’s Climate Change Reference Group
In May 2008, the Victorian Government established the Premier’s Climate Change Reference Group to provide expert, independent advice on a range of climate change issues. The Government has used the Group’s advice as a guide to climate change policy in the context of a national emissions trading scheme, the opportunities for Victoria in terms of innovation, technology and industry, and the type of support and assistance vulnerable communities will need to make the shift to a low carbon economy.
The Group has strongly advocated early action by Victoria on climate change, stating that “the urgency of climate change cannot be underestimated” and calling on the Government “to invoke a ‘call to action’ from our communities and businesses”. The group made a number of recommendations to the Premier.
Key recommendations for the Government from the Group include:
Emissions
- Advocate for a peak in total national greenhouse gas emissions by 2010, a national emissions reduction target of 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 and an ‘aspirational’ national emissions reduction target of at least 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050. In the absence of national targets that meet these standards, the Victorian Government should commit to these targets at the state level
- Develop a Climate Change Action Plan, to be revised every five years
- Implement an aggressive energy efficiency strategy through public education, financial incentives and regulation
- Establish a major statewide initiative to ensure the achievement of 7-Star energy standards for all Victorian residential buildings by 2020, with building codes for new buildings adjusted to meet world’s best practice energy efficiency standards by 2015
- Investigate the climate change-related structural changes and social impacts in the Victorian economy
- Deliver an assistance program for low income households that includes the provision of information, energy efficiency measures, material assistance and the engagement of these households in seeking solutions
- Ensure transport infrastructure planning considers the needs of low income, vulnerable and regional communities
- Increase the level of research and development in new energy and transport technologies
- Increase Victoria’s skills base through additional training places and university partnerships, in areas such as energy efficiency, carbon accounting and low emissions technology
- Develop urban and regional planning policies that encourage low-emission transport options, sustainable building design and green urban areas
- Develop and implement a Victorian Climate Change Adaptation Strategy that includes local/regional Adaptation Plans, sectoral adaptation responses and the regular review of existing laws, regulations and protocols to assess their responsiveness to climate adaptive needs
- Establish an independent statutory Victorian Climate Change Adaptation Council to oversee statewide adaptation activities
- Close knowledge gaps through ongoing research into climate vulnerability and resilience, and climate threats to Victoria
- Develop a behaviour change information campaign to encourage the Victorian community to reduce emissions and energy consumption
- Establish regular business and industry forums to increase information sharing and develop strategies to assist Victorian businesses reduce emissions and adjust to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
- Establish a process to ensure climate change factors are explicitly considered in all Victorian state and local government decisions.
- Regularly review and audit of Victorian legislation, including all State and local government regulations and policies, to ensure their harmony with current climate change mitigation and adaptation requirements.
The full report and recommendations are available below.
Premiers Reference Group Final Recommendations 2008 (PDF - 199 KB)The members of the Premier’s Climate Change Reference Group are:
David Karoly (Chair) - Professor of Meteorology and Federation Fellow in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Melbourne
Kate Auty - Magistrate and Chair of the Victorian Ministerial Reference Council on Climate Change Adaptation
Robin Batterham - Group Chief Scientist with Rio Tinto Limited and President of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences
Peter Christoff - Coordinator, Environmental Studies, Faculty of Land and Environment at the University of Melbourne and member of the Victorian Ministerial Reference Council on Climate Change Adaptation
Erwin Jackson - Director of Policy and Research at The Climate Institute
Amanda Lynch - Professor and Federation Fellow with the School of Geography and Environmental Sciences at Monash University
Tony Nicholson - Executive Director of the Brotherhood of St Laurence
Bob Welsh - Chief Executive of VicSuper
