❓ A WA parliamentary question probes the government's climate change strategy, carbon emission projections, and biological carbon sequestration efforts. The government's response indicates a focus on adaptation post-carbon pricing and acknowledges biosequestration potential.
AnsweredQoN 5927Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the additional questions for the 2012-13 Budget Hearings in relation to the activities of staff in the 'Coordinate the Response to Climate Change Service' (CRCCS) within the Department of Environment and Conservation, and I ask —
(1) What resources are allocated in the CRCCS to the development and implementation of the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategy (which was a pre-election commitment of the Government)?
(2) How many CRCCS staff are working on this strategy and why doesn't this activity appear in the list of activities provided in answer to question 9?
(3) Can the Minister provide an update on the status of this strategy, including what consultation has taken place to date and what broad policy options are being considered for Western Australia?
(4) Will the strategy examine opportunities to reduce Western Australia's net carbon emissions through biological carbon sequestration in the rangelands, forests or other native vegetation complexes?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
(6) If yes to (4), will the Office of Climate Change (OCC) quantify the potential carbon abatement resulting from a cessation of forest logging in Western Australia?
(7) Does the CRCCS report on, or provide advice on carbon emissions from land use land use change and forestry in Western Australia?
(8) If yes to (7), what is the estimated carbon pollution arising from native forest logging, burning, and land clearing in Western Australia (by activity)?
(9) Does the CRCCS provide policy advice on biological carbon sequestration in the rangelands, forests or other native vegetation complexes in Western Australia?
(10) If yes to (9), what advice has been provided to Government in these areas?
(11) Does the CRCCS consider that biological carbon sequestration opportunities arising from changed forest management could contribute to the reduction in Western Australia's net carbon pollution?
(12) If yes to (11), what is the OCC CRCCS's estimate of this potential contribution?
(13) Has the CRCCS or other government agencies examined the economic opportunity arising from abatement generated in the land use change and forestry in Western Australia?
(14) Does the CRCCS monitor developments in voluntary or compliance carbon offset markets in Australia and internationally?
(15) If yes to (14), does the CRCCS consider that opportunities exist for the sale of carbon credits generated in Western Australia as a result of land use land use change and forestry in voluntary carbon markets?
(16) Are any government agencies involved with developing or pursuing proposals to generate and trade in, or allow the trading in carbon credits generated from biological carbon storage, including in the Rangelands?
(17) If yes to (16), can the Minister provide details including what national or international carbon accounting and market frameworks apply to these proposals, what the potential carbon abatement is, and what the economic value of these opportunities might be?
(18) Has the CRCCS provided any advice to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Office of the EPA or the Minister's office regarding projections of carbon pollution sources in Western Australia in to the future?
(19) If yes to (18), can the Minister table this advice?
(20) What is the projected carbon pollution in tonnes from Western Australia pollution sources over the next decade?
(21) If projects currently under assessment by the EPA, or having previously been granted environmental approvals by the EPA all proceed, what will be the additional carbon pollution from Western Australian sources?
(22) Has the CRCCS conducted any assessment of carbon pollution from proposed or projected onshore gas developments in Western Australia?
(23) If yes to (22), what is the range of carbon pollution scenarios that could result from this industry?
(24) Is the Minister aware that contracts have been signed for the sale of Western Australian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the Wheatstone project to the Japanese energy company TEPCO?
(25) Given the current energy mix in Japan, does the Minister accept that Australian LNG will most likely displace lower-emissions forms of energy such as renewable energy in that country?
(26) Does the Minster agree with the Premier's repeated claim that LNG is contributing to reduction in global carbon pollution?
(27) If yes to (26), what evidence is available to support the assumption that LNG is displacing other dirtier forms of energy in export destinations?
(28) Is the CRCCS aware of any coal fired power stations that have been shut down, or proposals for new coal fired power stations that have not proceeded due to displacement by Western Australian LNG?
(29) Has the CRCCS or any other government agency provided an analysis of final end-use for Western Australian LNG in export destinations?
(30) If yes to (29) —
(a) what, if any, resultant carbon pollution reduction has been, or is likely to be, achieved given the current and projected energy mix in these countries; and
(b) can the Minister provide the details of such analysis to the Parliament?
(31) Is the Minister aware of recent peer-reviewed assessments showing that Australian LNG is likely to be displacing cleaner forms of energy, such as renewable energy in a number of export destinations?
(1) What resources are allocated in the CRCCS to the development and implementation of the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategy (which was a pre-election commitment of the Government)?
(2) How many CRCCS staff are working on this strategy and why doesn't this activity appear in the list of activities provided in answer to question 9?
(3) Can the Minister provide an update on the status of this strategy, including what consultation has taken place to date and what broad policy options are being considered for Western Australia?
(4) Will the strategy examine opportunities to reduce Western Australia's net carbon emissions through biological carbon sequestration in the rangelands, forests or other native vegetation complexes?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
(6) If yes to (4), will the Office of Climate Change (OCC) quantify the potential carbon abatement resulting from a cessation of forest logging in Western Australia?
(7) Does the CRCCS report on, or provide advice on carbon emissions from land use land use change and forestry in Western Australia?
(8) If yes to (7), what is the estimated carbon pollution arising from native forest logging, burning, and land clearing in Western Australia (by activity)?
(9) Does the CRCCS provide policy advice on biological carbon sequestration in the rangelands, forests or other native vegetation complexes in Western Australia?
(10) If yes to (9), what advice has been provided to Government in these areas?
(11) Does the CRCCS consider that biological carbon sequestration opportunities arising from changed forest management could contribute to the reduction in Western Australia's net carbon pollution?
(12) If yes to (11), what is the OCC CRCCS's estimate of this potential contribution?
(13) Has the CRCCS or other government agencies examined the economic opportunity arising from abatement generated in the land use change and forestry in Western Australia?
(14) Does the CRCCS monitor developments in voluntary or compliance carbon offset markets in Australia and internationally?
(15) If yes to (14), does the CRCCS consider that opportunities exist for the sale of carbon credits generated in Western Australia as a result of land use land use change and forestry in voluntary carbon markets?
(16) Are any government agencies involved with developing or pursuing proposals to generate and trade in, or allow the trading in carbon credits generated from biological carbon storage, including in the Rangelands?
(17) If yes to (16), can the Minister provide details including what national or international carbon accounting and market frameworks apply to these proposals, what the potential carbon abatement is, and what the economic value of these opportunities might be?
(18) Has the CRCCS provided any advice to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Office of the EPA or the Minister's office regarding projections of carbon pollution sources in Western Australia in to the future?
(19) If yes to (18), can the Minister table this advice?
(20) What is the projected carbon pollution in tonnes from Western Australia pollution sources over the next decade?
(21) If projects currently under assessment by the EPA, or having previously been granted environmental approvals by the EPA all proceed, what will be the additional carbon pollution from Western Australian sources?
(22) Has the CRCCS conducted any assessment of carbon pollution from proposed or projected onshore gas developments in Western Australia?
(23) If yes to (22), what is the range of carbon pollution scenarios that could result from this industry?
(24) Is the Minister aware that contracts have been signed for the sale of Western Australian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the Wheatstone project to the Japanese energy company TEPCO?
(25) Given the current energy mix in Japan, does the Minister accept that Australian LNG will most likely displace lower-emissions forms of energy such as renewable energy in that country?
(26) Does the Minster agree with the Premier's repeated claim that LNG is contributing to reduction in global carbon pollution?
(27) If yes to (26), what evidence is available to support the assumption that LNG is displacing other dirtier forms of energy in export destinations?
(28) Is the CRCCS aware of any coal fired power stations that have been shut down, or proposals for new coal fired power stations that have not proceeded due to displacement by Western Australian LNG?
(29) Has the CRCCS or any other government agency provided an analysis of final end-use for Western Australian LNG in export destinations?
(30) If yes to (29) —
(a) what, if any, resultant carbon pollution reduction has been, or is likely to be, achieved given the current and projected energy mix in these countries; and
(b) can the Minister provide the details of such analysis to the Parliament?
(31) Is the Minister aware of recent peer-reviewed assessments showing that Australian LNG is likely to be displacing cleaner forms of energy, such as renewable energy in a number of export destinations?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
18 September 2012
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
33 days
(1-2) The cost of development of the climate change strategy and the staff allocated to it are not separately identified and are primarily salary costs of staff in the Coordinate the Response to Climate Change service.
(3) A draft climate change strategy has been prepared and is being considered by the Government. Consultation with State agencies and trading enterprises was undertaken in May 2011.
(4-6) Following the introduction of a carbon price, mitigation is the responsibility of the Australian Government and Federal Parliament. The State Government will primarily focus on adaptation.
(7) No
(8) Not applicable
(9) Yes
(10) Policy advice has been provided on the potential for biosequestration in Western Australia, as part of carbon markets.
(11) Yes
(12) No estimate has been made.
(13)-(16) Yes
(17) The principal mechanism for monetising carbon credits from biosequestration will be the Carbon Farming Initiative. This requires development of a methodology accepted by the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, based on advice from the Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee. The level of abatement and economic value of initiatives will depend on the number and scope of approved methodologies and the price for which permits can be sold. No estimates have been made by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).
(18) No
(19) Not applicable
(20) National projections are not divided into individual States, and DEC does not make its own forecasts.
(21) See the answer to (20).
(22) No
(23) Not applicable
(24) Yes
(25) I am advised that Australian liquefied natural gas (LNG) is being sought in Japan to either replace low emissions energy sources which include nuclear power and renewables, replace existing conventional fuel sources, or provide new capacity.
(26) Yes
(27) The extent to which LNG reduces greenhouse gas emissions depends on the extent to which it displaces other more emissions-intensive fuels such as coal. The International Energy Agency forecasts that global gas production will increase by 1.7% per annum through to 2035, with power generation being the leading contributor to increased demand (International Energy Agency 2011).
(28) No
(29) No
(30) Not applicable
(31) DEC has advised me that it is aware of studies that both support and oppose this view.
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(3) A draft climate change strategy has been prepared and is being considered by the Government. Consultation with State agencies and trading enterprises was undertaken in May 2011.
(4-6) Following the introduction of a carbon price, mitigation is the responsibility of the Australian Government and Federal Parliament. The State Government will primarily focus on adaptation.
(7) No
(8) Not applicable
(9) Yes
(10) Policy advice has been provided on the potential for biosequestration in Western Australia, as part of carbon markets.
(11) Yes
(12) No estimate has been made.
(13)-(16) Yes
(17) The principal mechanism for monetising carbon credits from biosequestration will be the Carbon Farming Initiative. This requires development of a methodology accepted by the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, based on advice from the Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee. The level of abatement and economic value of initiatives will depend on the number and scope of approved methodologies and the price for which permits can be sold. No estimates have been made by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).
(18) No
(19) Not applicable
(20) National projections are not divided into individual States, and DEC does not make its own forecasts.
(21) See the answer to (20).
(22) No
(23) Not applicable
(24) Yes
(25) I am advised that Australian liquefied natural gas (LNG) is being sought in Japan to either replace low emissions energy sources which include nuclear power and renewables, replace existing conventional fuel sources, or provide new capacity.
(26) Yes
(27) The extent to which LNG reduces greenhouse gas emissions depends on the extent to which it displaces other more emissions-intensive fuels such as coal. The International Energy Agency forecasts that global gas production will increase by 1.7% per annum through to 2035, with power generation being the leading contributor to increased demand (International Energy Agency 2011).
(28) No
(29) No
(30) Not applicable
(31) DEC has advised me that it is aware of studies that both support and oppose this view.
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