Published Thursday, 26 April, 2007 at 11:30 AM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
QLD HAS ITS SAY ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN AUSTRALIAN FIRST REPORT
Queenslanders rate climate change as an issue vital to the nation’s future, according to an Australian first report launched today by Minister for State Development John Mickel.
Mr Mickel announced the findings while touring CSIRO’s Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies (QCAT) in Pullenvale. The precinct is the focal point of the State’s clean coal technologies housing CSIRO researchers, the Cooperative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development (CCSD) and the Centre for Low Emission Technology (cLET).
He commended cLET on an 18-month social research project examining public perceptions to climate change and focussing on clean coal technologies.
“Understanding and Incorporating Stakeholder Perspectives to Low Emission Technologies”, is one of the first studies to examine public awareness of these issues in such detail,” Mr Mickel said.
“cLET’s survey of 1800 people throughout the State found that 90% of those surveyed considered climate change to be an important issue facing Australia today. This is an extraordinary response.
“Such a public consensus is rare on any issue. This finding suggests a major shift in public thinking which is great because we need to get the community along with governments and industry involved in creating a cleaner and greener Queensland.”
Mr Mickel said despite the importance of the issue to Queenslanders, the report found there was a significant lack of public awareness about what coal and other industries were doing to address climate change and a strong appetite for more information.
“It is clear Queenslanders want their energy clean and affordable.”
The authors of this report have been nominated to represent Australia on an international committee to address climate change. The committee was formed by the International Energy Agency and Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum following the G8 summit in Gleneagles in July 2005.
According to the cLET report, Australia currently obtains 80% of its power supply from coal fired power plants and this contributes to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions could have a number of potential impacts on the State including warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, changes in rainfall patterns, and increased storm and cyclone intensity.
In South East Queensland, the number of days over 35ºC is expected to increase, potentially affecting peak energy demand. Increased temperatures could lead to more coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef and a loss in biodiversity in Queensland’s Wet Tropics.
To help counteract climate change Queensland along with other Australian States and Territories recently set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% before 2050.
Mr Mickel said Queensland continued to lead the way in promoting clean coal technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“cLET is dedicated to developing cleaner ways of using coal and is working on a number of projects including gas cleaning, processing and separation.
”Earlier this year we committed $200,000 toward the cost of a cLET feasibility study into the establishment of a National Low Emissions Gasification Test facility in Queensland.
“This will be a significant step for clean coal research. Coal gasification breaks coal down into a variety of products including electricity, hydrogen, synthetic gas, liquid fuels and even fertiliser,” he said.
Established in 2003, cLET is a $26 million joint venture between the Queensland Government, CSIRO and other industry stakeholders including the University of Queensland.
cLET Chief Executive Officer, Doctor Kelly Thambimuthu is on the Clean Coal Project Board, created by Cabinet to administer the $300 million Queensland Future Growth Fund, designed to progress the development of clean coal technologies in Queensland.
Mr Mickel also praised the QCAT team for its research and development into boosting Queensland’s mining, energy and manufacturing industries.
“QCAT is integral to the future growth of the mining sector. It is involved in a number of research projects in areas such as coal preparation and mineral processing, as well as testing automated coal mining technology including trucks, long wall mining machinery and other equipment to improve safety and efficiency,” Mr Mickel said.
The Understanding and Incorporating Stakeholder Perspectives to Low Emission Technologies in Queensland can be downloaded at www.clet.net/publications.html
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349
QCAT Contact: Helen Gray CSIRO 3327 4477 or 0439 745 319
26 April, 2007
Mr Mickel announced the findings while touring CSIRO’s Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies (QCAT) in Pullenvale. The precinct is the focal point of the State’s clean coal technologies housing CSIRO researchers, the Cooperative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development (CCSD) and the Centre for Low Emission Technology (cLET).
He commended cLET on an 18-month social research project examining public perceptions to climate change and focussing on clean coal technologies.
“Understanding and Incorporating Stakeholder Perspectives to Low Emission Technologies”, is one of the first studies to examine public awareness of these issues in such detail,” Mr Mickel said.
“cLET’s survey of 1800 people throughout the State found that 90% of those surveyed considered climate change to be an important issue facing Australia today. This is an extraordinary response.
“Such a public consensus is rare on any issue. This finding suggests a major shift in public thinking which is great because we need to get the community along with governments and industry involved in creating a cleaner and greener Queensland.”
Mr Mickel said despite the importance of the issue to Queenslanders, the report found there was a significant lack of public awareness about what coal and other industries were doing to address climate change and a strong appetite for more information.
“It is clear Queenslanders want their energy clean and affordable.”
The authors of this report have been nominated to represent Australia on an international committee to address climate change. The committee was formed by the International Energy Agency and Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum following the G8 summit in Gleneagles in July 2005.
According to the cLET report, Australia currently obtains 80% of its power supply from coal fired power plants and this contributes to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions could have a number of potential impacts on the State including warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, changes in rainfall patterns, and increased storm and cyclone intensity.
In South East Queensland, the number of days over 35ºC is expected to increase, potentially affecting peak energy demand. Increased temperatures could lead to more coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef and a loss in biodiversity in Queensland’s Wet Tropics.
To help counteract climate change Queensland along with other Australian States and Territories recently set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% before 2050.
Mr Mickel said Queensland continued to lead the way in promoting clean coal technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“cLET is dedicated to developing cleaner ways of using coal and is working on a number of projects including gas cleaning, processing and separation.
”Earlier this year we committed $200,000 toward the cost of a cLET feasibility study into the establishment of a National Low Emissions Gasification Test facility in Queensland.
“This will be a significant step for clean coal research. Coal gasification breaks coal down into a variety of products including electricity, hydrogen, synthetic gas, liquid fuels and even fertiliser,” he said.
Established in 2003, cLET is a $26 million joint venture between the Queensland Government, CSIRO and other industry stakeholders including the University of Queensland.
cLET Chief Executive Officer, Doctor Kelly Thambimuthu is on the Clean Coal Project Board, created by Cabinet to administer the $300 million Queensland Future Growth Fund, designed to progress the development of clean coal technologies in Queensland.
Mr Mickel also praised the QCAT team for its research and development into boosting Queensland’s mining, energy and manufacturing industries.
“QCAT is integral to the future growth of the mining sector. It is involved in a number of research projects in areas such as coal preparation and mineral processing, as well as testing automated coal mining technology including trucks, long wall mining machinery and other equipment to improve safety and efficiency,” Mr Mickel said.
The Understanding and Incorporating Stakeholder Perspectives to Low Emission Technologies in Queensland can be downloaded at www.clet.net/publications.html
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349
QCAT Contact: Helen Gray CSIRO 3327 4477 or 0439 745 319
26 April, 2007