Queensland to become leader in clean growth economy

The Palaszczuk Government has unveiled its goal to drive carbon pollution down to zero by 2050 and make Queensland a leader in the clean growth economy.

Speaking from Cairns, Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and Environment Minister Steven Miles released the Queensland Climate Transition and Adaptation Strategies which lay out the plans for drastically reducing carbon pollution and readying communities for the impacts of a warmer climate.

“Setting a target of zero net emissions by 2050 sends a clear message that Queensland will be a leader in the low carbon economy,” Ms Trad said.

“This will attract new investment and industries to our state, ensuring sustainable jobs for Queenslanders into the future.

“In the absence of any climate change policy from the Turnbull Government it is the states who are doing the heavy lifting to ensure Australia does its fair share to keep the global temperature rise to below 2 degrees.”

The Deputy Premier said she would join a roundtable meeting of State Governments and Former Vice President and Climate Leader Al Gore in Melbourne later this week to discuss climate strategy.

“In Melbourne on Thursday I will discuss with my counterparts from other states how we can work together to ensure that as Australians we meet our obligations under the Paris Agreement,” Ms Trad said.

“We shouldn’t have to keep the Turnbull Government’s promises for them, but for the sake of our communities, our industries and our environment we have to step up.”

The Environment Minister said that UNESCO’s recent look at the Great Barrier Reef’s World Heritage Status noted climate change was one of its biggest threats.

“The world is watching what we do to protect our Great Barrier Reef,” Mr Miles said.

“We must drive down emissions to prevent further coral bleaching events like the ones we’ve seen recently.

“This is vital for the future of the Reef.

“But it also means Queenslanders get to go on enjoying their way of life. It means more stable jobs in the industries of the future, giving our farmers a chance to thrive, making sure we can enjoy our incredible natural environment with clean air and soil and water.

“We’ve already seen a massive increase in construction and jobs in the Queensland renewable sector since the election of the Palaszczuk Government.

“And that’s only going to grow now with even more incentives for clean industries to set up shop in our state under our target for 50% renewables by 2030.”

Member for Barron River Craig Crawford said that there was a pressing need for action on climate change.

“Understanding the impacts of a changing climate and adapting to these will help us protect the people and the place we love – including Queensland’s way of life,” Mr Crawford said.

“We are already experiencing the impacts of a changing climate and can expect to see more changes including - higher temperatures, more intense and more frequent heatwaves, more intense tropical cyclones, rising sea levels and more frequent coral bleaching as a result of warmer oceans.

“This Adaptation Strategy is about how we manage the flow-on effects of those impacts in areas like tourism, agriculture, biodiversity and our tropical lifestyle here in Far North Queensland.

“By using science to predict the future risks, we can build this into everyday decision-making; ensuring our infrastructure, businesses and communities are ready and resilient under changing conditions.

“Tackling climate change is critical for strengthening Queensland’s economic future and for protecting our iconic places, including the Great Barrier Reef.”

The Queensland Climate Adaptation Strategy and Queensland Climate Transition Strategy are available to download:

Transition strategy

http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/assets/documents/climate/qld-climate-transition-strategy.pdf

Adaptation strategy

http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/assets/documents/climate/qld-climate-adaptation-strategy.pdf

ENDS

Media contacts: 
Katharine Wright (Minister Miles’ office) – 0422 580342
Anna Jabour (Deputy Premier’s office) – 0429 890942