Building the green economy

Sustainability! Do the major parties have a clue? Green Capital’s ten-point hit list caused debate at the recent Politics of Sustainability event. Whoever wins the looming federal election will need to take immediate action to create the building blocks for Australia’s transition to a green economy. Here are the Green Capital top tips for action.

• A price signal on carbon by 2012: will significantly cut the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and beyond.
• Environmental sustainability: must become a key pillar of the future tax system for Australia to provide for a ‘smart grid’ , transport infrastructure and support green investment.
• A smarter, more efficient electricity grid: with widespread large- and small-scale distributed generation this must be accompanied by the closure and decommissioning of traditional coal-fired power stations.
• Strong energy-efficiency target: of at least one-third of current electricity consumption by 2020.
• The voluntary carbon market (with or without a mandatory carbon price): must continue to be an important driver of early action on reducing CO₂e emissions.
• Promoting additional wind and fast-tracking solar thermal and other emerging technologies: to deliver a significantly increased RET by 2020 accelerate decommissioning of the dirtiest coal-fired stations.
• A new regime of extended producer responsibility (EPR): will include a national container deposits scheme; other ‘take-back’ schemes for key problem wastes; and minimisation of waste to landfill with energy and nutrients recovery maximised.
• Greener government procurement: a major purchaser of goods and services, the government should drive more sustainable processes and products in key areas including buildings, energy supply, fleet vehicles, travel, fit-outs, technology improvements, infrastructure design and delivery.
• The nation’s ecological assets: must be protected and restored by using market-based instruments for resource management, pollution control and conservation purposes.
• National strategy for real skills development and job training: will green the mainstream economy and the growth of a vibrant ‘green economy’ industry sector.

Green Capital is a corporate sustainability program started by the Total Environment Centre (TEC) in 2002. Green Capital engages Australian businesses, all levels of government and civil society groups to discuss corporate sustainability and responsibility.