❓ Hon Paul Llewellyn asks the WA government if it has calculated the state's greenhouse gas liability, referencing the Stern Review. Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich responds that it has not, citing the complexity and uncertainties in costing climate change impacts at a local level.
AnsweredQoN 989Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CLIMATE CHANGE - STATE GREENHOUSE LIABILITY
I refer to the alarming report by the former World Bank chief economist Sir Nicholas Stern on the cost of climate change, in which he predicts that the effects of climate change will cost more economically than either of the twentieth century’s two world wars or the Great Depression. (1) Has the government calculated its total greenhouse liability as a result of greenhouse gas emissions? (2) If not, why not? (3) If yes, where are the greenhouse gas liability reports and would the minister please table them? (4) What value is placed on carbon in those calculations? (5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
I refer to the alarming report by the former World Bank chief economist Sir Nicholas Stern on the cost of climate change, in which he predicts that the effects of climate change will cost more economically than either of the twentieth century’s two world wars or the Great Depression. (1) Has the government calculated its total greenhouse liability as a result of greenhouse gas emissions? (2) If not, why not? (3) If yes, where are the greenhouse gas liability reports and would the minister please table them? (4) What value is placed on carbon in those calculations? (5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(1) Has the government calculated its total greenhouse liability as a result of greenhouse gas emissions? (2) If not, why not? (3) If yes, where are the greenhouse gas liability reports and would the minister please table them? (4) What value is placed on carbon in those calculations? (5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(2) If not, why not? (3) If yes, where are the greenhouse gas liability reports and would the minister please table them? (4) What value is placed on carbon in those calculations? (5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(3) If yes, where are the greenhouse gas liability reports and would the minister please table them? (4) What value is placed on carbon in those calculations? (5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(4) What value is placed on carbon in those calculations? (5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(3)-(5) Not applicable.
(1) Has the government calculated its total greenhouse liability as a result of greenhouse gas emissions? (2) If not, why not? (3) If yes, where are the greenhouse gas liability reports and would the minister please table them? (4) What value is placed on carbon in those calculations? (5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(2) If not, why not? (3) If yes, where are the greenhouse gas liability reports and would the minister please table them? (4) What value is placed on carbon in those calculations? (5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(3) If yes, where are the greenhouse gas liability reports and would the minister please table them? (4) What value is placed on carbon in those calculations? (5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(4) What value is placed on carbon in those calculations? (5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(5) What is the total calculated greenhouse gas liability for the state? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
I thank the member for some notice of the question. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister for the Environment. (1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(1) No. (2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(2) The Stern review is the first major international review of the costs of climate change to the global economy, and will provide a basis for Western Australia to begin calculating the economic costs of climate change to the state. However, as the Stern report acknowledges, there are many intangible costs associated with climate change that cannot be fully costed, and there are significant uncertainties associated with calculating climate change costs at a regional and local scale. (3)-(5) Not applicable.
(3)-(5) Not applicable.
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