Download Responding to a changing climate

Responding to a changing climate
Tasmanian Climate Change Office
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Climate change science –take home messages
Our current knowledge is not perfect,
but we do know:
• Emissions are growing faster
•Climate is changing faster
•Climate will continue to change for
decades,
•Risks increase the longer we delay
•Climate change provides both risks
and opportunities for Tasmania
What's been happening to
Tasmania’s climate?
Over the past 50 years..
– Average temperatures have increased by 0.8 to 1.0
degrees, in line with Australian average
– Minimum temperatures increasing more than
maximum
– Rainfall has declined in most settled areas
• Declines of up to 20mm per decade in the north-west and
south-east
• Increases of 5 to15 mm per decade in the south-west
Source: Bureau of Meteorology
What’s likely to happen in the
future?
• Annual maximum temperatures increasing across
the state, highest in the north-east
• Annual potential evaporation increasing in all areas
except west coast and highlands where small
decreases are predicted
• Substantial regional variations in rainfall in both
quantity and distribution. Currently being modelled
by Climate Futures for Tasmania.
Source: CSIRO/Hydro Tasmania/Tasmanian Partnership for Advanced Computing
In response...
Tasmania has
– Established the Tasmanian Climate
Change Office early 2008
– Enacted the Climate Change (State
Action) Act 2008
– Released the Tasmanian Framework
for Action
Tasmanian Framework for Action
• Flexible approach to take into account national and
international developments and new science
• Sets out objectives, key principles and priority areas for
action
• Includes Tasmania’s Action Plan – actions that can be
taken immediately
• Recognises the need for a responsive document.
Framework objectives
1.
To reduce our emissions to at least 60 percent below 1990
levels by 2050
2. To adapt to the changes in our climate that are occurring
now and will continue to occur
3. To capture new social, economic and environmental
opportunities
4. To demonstrate national and international leadership and
contribute to global climate solutions
Priority areas for action
1. Government leadership
2. Consolidating Tasmania’s position as the renewable
energy State
3. Planning for future change (adaptation)
4. Protecting Tasmania’s natural carbon stores
5. Improving Tasmania’s transport system
6. Innovations in agriculture
7. Being energy smart
8. Building resilient and adaptive communities
Tasmanian Wedges Project
Tons of CO2-e
emitted per year
Emission reduction
‘wedges’
Historical
emissions
0
1950
Emission reduction
target
2000
2050
2100
Government leadership
• Emissions Inventory Project - comprehensive audit of Government
emissions to determine carbon footprint
• Greenhouse standards for vehicle fleet
• Procurement policy revised
• Introduce Climate Change Impact Statements so that climate
change will be factored into decision making across Government
• Agency emission reduction plans in place
• Introducing minimum energy efficiency ratings for Government
buildings
The renewable energy State
• Aspire to generating 100 percent of our electricity from
renewable resources and to become a net exporter of
renewable and low carbon electricity.
• Energy efficiency measures to reduce our energy needs
• Development of our renewable energy industry to
ensure continued security, efficiency and affordability of
Tasmanian electricity supplies
• Showcase for tomorrow’s renewable energy
technologies
Improving Tasmania’s
transport system
Current Actions
• Govt review of urban transport
• Exploring opportunities to trial
innovative transport alternatives and
for encouraging walking and cycling
• Tasmania can be a leader in
promoting the new generation of
transport vehicles.
Being energy smart
• Greater energy efficiency in Tasmania means
more clean energy to export to the mainland
• It will also ease the impact of rising electricity
prices on households and businesses
Current Actions
• Low Income Housing Project
• Partnership with SLT – energy audits, advisory
services, presentations
Resilient and adaptive
communities
• Challenges of climate change will place increasing
pressure on individuals, businesses and communities to
adjust the ways we live and work
Current Actions
• Climate Change Community Grants Program
• Partnership agreement and funding for Sustainable
Living Tasmania
• Local Government partnership on climate change
• Working with SME’s to build understanding and action
Community Grants
• Round one funding for the ClimateConnect
community grants program has been finalised
–
–
–
–
$400,000 has been allocated (up to $50,000 each)
Ten successful projects to be funded
Currently being announced by the Minister
Represent a broad spread of projects– agriculture,
transport, aged care facilities, the arts and household
energy efficiency
• Review and recut program ready for 09/10
round
Community Grants 09/10
• Program objectives – are they the right ones?
• Are the eligible applicants, projects and
activities appropriate?
• Is there a need for a small grants ($5k)
program to undertake engagement
activities? and if so what sort of activities
could be funded??
Council meets Community
• Public event prior to each meeting of
Climate Action Council
• Information and networking
• December 3rd – community focus in
Launceston
• What would you like – topic, format etc