The Andrews government will fall short of reaching its ambitious emissions target if it relies on closing coal power stations to achieve it, Environment Victoria says.
Gas burned in Victorian homes and small businesses would account for up to 37 per cent of the state’s emissions by 2035 if the rate of gas consumption kept up, the organisation warned in a report on Tuesday.
That would represent more than triple the existing share.
By closing coal power stations, there would be an annual “emissions gap” of between 18 and 24 million tonnes of carbon pollution, meaning the closures would not be enough to meet the government’s target, the organisation said.
It said other sectors would have to “step up” to fill the gap.
The Andrews government has pledged to cut emissions by 75 to 80 per cent by 2035.
“What this report makes clear is that gas is set to become Victoria’s biggest source of emissions if we don’t take urgent action,” Environment Victoria chief executive Jono La Nauze said.
“The Andrews government has world-leading climate targets and a comprehensive plan to shift the electricity sector from coal to renewables, but more than two million homes are still hooked up to fossil gas, a highly polluting and increasingly expensive fuel,” she said.
“Continuing to burn gas at the current rate, as some LNG import terminals have proposed, would result in household gas being responsible for about one third of the state’s total emissions in a dozen years.”
If gas consumption declined slightly, following a slow transition preferred by gas companies, Victoria’s homes and small businesses would still account for up to 28 per cent of the state’s emissions by 2035, the report said.
That was at least double the existing share.
Environment Victoria called on the government to update its gas distribution road map with clear timelines, more ambitious goals, and incentives to push households to switch to electric appliances.
Mr La Nauze said any program needed to be targeted at low-income households, renters and diverse communities.
“The Andrews government should reject LNG import terminal proposals that are based on high levels of gas consumption continuing for decades,” he said.
“Our research shows these proposals are incompatible with achieving Victoria’s new climate targets and would place a greater burden on other sectors of the economy to reduce emissions.”
The Victorian Greens, in response to the report, called for the government to knock back a Viva Energy application to build a gas terminal at Corio Bay.
It would be “criminal” to approve such a project in the midst of a climate crisis, deputy leader Ellen Sandell said.
– AAP
