Australian Residential Building Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2010

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Summary

In his Statement of 20 November 1997, "Safeguarding the Future: Australia's Response to Climate Change", the Prime Minister announced a package of measures to reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. He noted that this package of measures was designed both to ensure that Australia plays its part in the global effort required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to protect Australian jobs and industry. The Government is therefore seeking "realistic, cost-effective reductions in key sectors where emissions are high or growing strongly, while also fairly spreading the burden of action across the economy". The Prime Minister also noted that "[The Government is] prepared to ask industry to do more than they may otherwise be prepared to do, that is, to go beyond a "no regrets", minimal cost approach where this is sensible in order to achieve effective and meaningful outcomes".

Subsequent negotiations resulted in an international agreement to the Kyoto Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change, under which Australia will have an obligation, inter alia, to reduce its rate of greenhouse gas emissions to 108 per cent of its 1990 level by 2008-2012. This compares with a business-as-usual scenario prior to the Prime Minister's Statement of 28 per cent emissions growth for the economy as a whole, and around 40 per cent for energy-related emissions.

For the building sector, the Prime Minister's Statement specified:

"The Commonwealth will work with the States, Territories and key industry stakeholders to develop voluntary minimum energy performance standards for new and substantially refurbished commercial buildings on the basis of energy efficiency benchmarks. If after 12 months, the Government assesses that the voluntary approach is not achieving acceptable progress towards higher standards of energy efficiency for housing and commercial buildings, we will work with the States and industry to implement mandatory standards through amendment of the Building Code of Australia."

Following consultation with the building industry, the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) decided to conduct a baseline study on the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the residential building sector of the economy.

Accordingly, this project is to provide a firm, quantitative basis for the subsequent development of specific greenhouse response measures by industry and government. The Commonwealth Government (AGO) will consider the impact of these measures in the context of its overall greenhouse strategy.

This page last modified 02 February 2009