Climate Change in Queensland
Tackling climate change is a long term issue. Australia and the rest of the world need to start to control our greenhouse gas emissions now. Otherwise, we face real threats to our economy, community, natural environment and lifestyles.
The Queensland Government is investing $430 million to tackle climate change through the Queensland Climate Change Fund.
Climate change challenges are also addressed as part of the government's blueprint for the future, Tomorrow's Queensland: Toward Q2.
Queensland's revised climate change strategy
The launch of Queensland's revised climate change strategy, ClimateQ: toward a greener Queensland, marks the completion of an extensive policy review and public consultation process over the past 12 months.
This strategy consolidates and updates the policy approach outlined in ClimateSmart 2050 and Queensland's ClimateSmart Adaptation Plan 2007-12. It takes into account the latest national and international science and policy.
ClimateQ: toward a greener Queensland presents the next phase in Queensland's response to the challenge of climate change. The revised strategy presents investments and policies to ensure Queensland remains at the forefront of the national climate change response.
1 Million Women campaign
The Queensland Government is a proud sponsor of the "1 Million Women" campaign, which aims to prevent one million tonnes of CO2 pollution from entering the atmosphere.
The Premier Anna Bligh and the Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability are both ambassadors to this campaign.
All Australian women are invited to join the campaign and register to cut 1 tonne of CO2 by committing to undertaking some small changes to everyday actions.
The Big Light Switch campaign
In November 2008, the Queensland Government gave away 1 million energy-saving light bulbs in the Big Light Switch campaign.
Switching to more efficient lighting is an affordable way to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and save the environment. It's a simple action that everyone can do.
For more details on The Big Light Switch campaign, visit the ClimateSmart website.
Queensland's strategic partnership with Clinton Foundation
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Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, and Ira C. Magaziner, Chairman of the Clinton Climate Foundation, sign the Memorandum of Understanding.
In June 2008, Premier Anna Bligh announced a strategic partnership with the William J. Clinton Climate Initiative to help Queensland reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The partnership focuses on:
- driving energy efficiency in cities and new developments
- exploring potential for large scale solar thermal power generation
- new ways of financing the roll out of low emissions technology.
The partnership was formalised through the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding by the Premier and the visiting Chairman of the Clinton Foundation, Mr Ira C. Magaziner.
Reverse the Effect
To help reduce the impact of vehicle emissions on Queensland's environment, the Queensland Government has introduced a new initiative called Reverse the Effect. With Reverse the Effect, Queensland motorists can get involved by making a tax deductible donation against their vehicles' estimated emissions.
The types of vehicles that can be donated against include:
- mopeds
- motorbikes
- various size cars
- hybrid cars
- light commercial vehicles
- rigid trucks.
The Queensland Government will match motorists' contributions, dollar-for-dollar, up to $4.5 million over the next five years. That means a moped rider can pay just $8 of the $16 total cost to help balance their annual vehicle emissions.
Donations will go towards tree planting projects in Queensland that help to capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, minimise the impact of climate change and expand Queensland's protected natural areas.
For more information on the initiative or to help balance your vehicles' emissions today, visit www.reversetheeffect.com.au (non-government site).
Last updated Tuesday, May 25, 2010
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