Tasmania leads the way on Tackling Climate Change

energy

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Tasmania already has lower carbon dioxide emissions than the national average but is prepared to work with other States and the Commonwealth to drive the level down further, Premier Paul Lennon said at today’s COAG meeting in Canberra.

Based on the latest figures from the Australian Greenhouse office, Mr Lennon said each Tasmanian produced an estimated average of 22 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year as opposed to the national average of 28 tonnes.

“If the whole of Australia had the same level of per capita emissions as Tasmania there would be a reduction of more than 120 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year,” Mr Lennon said.

“This is the equivalent of Victoria’s entire annual emissions.

“So if the rest of Australia caught up with Tasmania, we would achieve the aim of reducing emission levels to 60% of the year 2000 figure by the middle of this century.

“That’s not to say Tasmania does not have a role to play in winding back its own emissions to help achieve the national target.

“Today I have made it clear that we are ready and willing to play our part in a national strategy to combat climate change but clearly other States have a lot of work to do just to catch up to where Tasmania already is.

Mr Lennon also tabled Tasmania’s national reform agenda action plan at the COAG meeting, noting with disappointment that the Commonwealth had not lived up to its commitment to produce its own detailed plans.

The Premier said Tasmania’s strong commitment to the key areas of literacy and numeracy, early childhood and childcare and diabetes again placed it ahead of the other states.

New initiatives since February 2006 see Tasmania spending:

• $154 per person on literacy and numeracy programs compared to $62 per capita in Victoria;
• $36 per person on early childhood and childcare programs compared to $26 per capita in Victoria;
• $31 per person on diabetes programs compared to $22 per capita in Victoria.

“Tasmania’s commitment to these key areas is already very strong and we want to go further under a national plan that will improve the capacity of future generations to contribute to the economy,” Mr Lennon said.