2015 National ALP Conference Resolutions relating to LEAN's campaign

Renewable Energy

Chapter 4
Amendment 215A

Amend dot point 4 of paragraph 16 to include the additional words highlighted in text below:

16. Labor will:

· Put climate change at the heart of our commitment to deliver jobs, innovation and investment to build a prosperous, safe and fair Australia.

· Introduce an Emissions Trading Scheme which imposes a legal limit on carbon pollution that lets business work out the cheapest and most effective way to operate within that cap. Labor’s cap on carbon pollution will be based on robust independent advice and reduce over time in accordance with Australia’s international commitments;

· Develop a comprehensive plan to progressively decarbonise Australia’s energy sector, particularly in electricity generation. A commitment to reinvigorate and grow Australia’s renewable energy industry, encourage energy efficiency and invest in low carbon energy solutions, is essential to that plan;

· Work to undo the damage that the Coalition Government has done to the renewable energy sector, and be ambitious in growing the renewable energy sector beyond 2020 by adopting policies to deliver at least 50% of our electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030

· Restore integrity, independence and capacity to the environment and climate change portfolios and relevant science agencies; and

· Work with the land sector and other stakeholders to store millions of tonnes of carbon in the land through better land and waste management.

Chapter 4
Resolution 214R

The Future of Electricity

Australia’s electricity sector is experiencing enormous change driven by a range of global and domestic trends, including;

· The age of Australia’s existing generators;

· The rise in domestic gas prices;

· The growth in distributed energy, especially rooftop solar;

· Climate change and the need to progressively reduce the electricity sector’s carbon emissions; and Advances in renewable energy, storage and smart metering technology.

The Abbott Government has failed to develop a comprehensive strategy to modernise Australia’s electricity system. Instead, the sector has been rocked by Tony Abbott’s reckless attacks on the renewable energy industry and a hopelessly inadequate Energy White Paper.

A Shorten Labor Government will work with the industry, unions and other stakeholders to develop an Electricity Modernisation Strategy that;

· Is consistent with economy wide emissions reduction targets;

· Minimises any cost impact on business and household consumers;

· Covers options for delivering on Labor’s goal of 50% of Australia’s electricity being generated from all renewable sources- small and large scale- by 2030;

· Is based on a consultative and consensus approach to any increase in large renewable energy capacity that ensures investment confidence, and certainty for workers in existing generators;

· Deals with the impact of the growth in renewable energy on existing generators and networks;

· Recognises corporate announcements concerning managing the ageing of existing plant and timelines for plant closures;

· Establishes an agency to oversee redeployment, retraining and income support where necessary for affected workers;

· Capitalises on the significant new jobs opportunities across the entire renewable energy supply chain from growth in the renewable energy industry;

· Develops structural adjustment strategies and investment for communities impacted by change in the sector, and

· Results in a managed, predictable long-term process of modernisation for the electricity sector.

Labor recognises the important linkages between climate change and electricity policy. Accordingly, Labor will bring those portfolios together in Government.

Pollution Reduction Targets

Chapter 4
Amendment 249A

Add new dot point to paragraph 16 additional words highlighted in text below:

16. Labor will:

· Put climate change at the heart of our commitment to deliver jobs, innovation and investment to build a prosperous, safe and fair Australia.

· Work to undo the damage that the Coalition Government has done to the renewable energy sector, and be ambitious in growing the renewable energy sector beyond 2020 Restore integrity, independence and capacity to the environment and climate change portfolios and relevant science agencies; and

· Work with the land sector and other stakeholders to store millions of tonnes of carbon in the land through better land and waste management.

· Adopt post 2020 pollution reduction targets, consistent with doing Australia’s fair share in limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. Labor will base these targets on the latest advice of bodies such as the independent Climate Change Authority.

Chapter 4
Resolution 223R

Post 2020 Emissions Reduction

In December 2015, the world’s nations will gather in Paris with the aim of finalising an agreement on reducing global greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2020.

Led by the US and China, momentum is building for an ambitious agreement to be reached. All major developed nations - with the exception of Australia - and most developing nations have released their proposed contributions to the Paris conference.

Australia must also commit to taking a fair share of global action to ensure that global warming does not exceed 2 degrees Celsius beyond pre-industrial levels in keeping with our international commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agreement of 2010. That action must be based on the best available independent scientific and economic evidence, as well as the advice of statutory bodies like the Climate Change Authority. Such targets will underpin and inform Labor's climate change policies including the Emissions Trading Scheme. Labor will continue to argue the case for Australia to adopt an emissions reduction target and Labor will adopt an emissions reduction target before the next Federal election that reflects the UNFCCC commitment and advice from the Climate Change Authority and other such independent bodies.

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