Victoria has announced amibitious climate change targets as well as plans to introduce a pledge system for government, business and the community.
Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio have announced a series of five year interim targets with the goal of achieving the overall target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The targets are recommendations of the 2015 Independent Review of the Climate Change Act 2010.
In response to the review, the Labor Government will enshrine the net zero emissions reduction target in legislation while also making climate change a consideration across government decision making, policies and programs.
The government is also introducing a wide-ranging emissions reduction pledge program for the private, government and community sectors.
The pledge program, dubbed TAKE2, will give businesses and organisations already taking significant action on climate change the opportunity to showcase and build upon their work to-date, while inspiring and enabling others to make their own contributions to emissions reductions.
Victorians are invited to visit the pledge website and register their commitment to be part of the process of helping Victoria reach net zero by 2050 at: take2.vic.gov.au
Pledges will contribute to Victoria’s first interim target to 2020 and inform future climate change policy.
Sustainability Victoria CEO, Stan Krpan, said that as an organisation "we pledge to continue to lead by example and reduce our impact on the environment by maintaining our carbon neutral position and the purchase of 100% renewable energy."
Sustainability Victoria will undertake consultations with leading sectors later this month to develop a series of specific actions designed for individual sectors. These identified actions will inform the actions people commit to on Pledge Action Day in August.
Premier Daniel Andrews said Victoria is leading the nation when it comes to tackling climate change.
“Updating our laws and introducing a target to reduce emissions in Victoria will ensure we take advantage of the new jobs and economic opportunities created by renewable energy," he said.
Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio, said decisive action is necessary because "we know that climate change is real and we ignore it at our peril.”
CEO of Environment Victoria, Mark Wakeham, said setting a legislated target for ending climate pollution provides a strong signal for all future government and business decisions.