Climate change – now it’s law

The nation's first Climate Change legislation has become law. The Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007 makes South Australia the first place in Australia to legislate targets to reduce greenhouse emissions.

"The legislation commits the government to work with business and the community to develop and put in place strategies that will put our state in a position to take early action to reduce greenhouse emissions and adapt to climate change," Premier Mike Rann, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change said.

Rann said industries big and small are well aware that they can reduce greenhouse emissions and grow their businesses at the same time.

"It is vital that what we do as a state to reduce greenhouse emissions goes hand in hand with economic development and community wellbeing," Rann said.

The Act sets out three targets to:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state by at least 60% of 1990 levels by the end of 2050
• Increase renewable electricity generation so it makes up at least 20% of electricity generated in the state by the end of 2014
• Increase renewable electricity consumption so it makes up at least 20% of electricity used in the state by the end of 2014

Rann said that the government was now looking at an extra interim target to be established by regulation.

"The Act allows for this and will enable us to fill the gap left when the Upper House defeated an interim target to achieve 1990 levels of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 which would have brought us into line with Arnold Schwarzenegger's law in California," Rann said.