Labor has committed more than $290 million to restore the Climate Change Authority, defenestrated and ignored by the Coalition government for nearly a decade, and to revive Australia’s international efforts on climate action – including a bid to host the annual UN climate talks.
The federal budget unveiled on Tuesday night by treasurer Jim Chalmers commits $47 million to the CCA over four years – and $13 million a year beyond that – to enable the authority to more than treble its staff and conduct the reports it was established to do.
The CCA was created by the Gillard Government under the Clean Energy Future deal with the Greens in 2012, and was created to set independent climate targets based around the science.
But after surviving attempts by the Abbott government to kill the CCA along with the carbon price, it had its funding cut, its staffing slashed, and its report were either ignored and often outsourced. Many of its founding directors left in protest and/or frustration.
The Labor budget reveals that the CCA’s staff numbers will increase from 11 in the last financial year to 38 in the current financial year, to provide expert advice to the government on climate change initiatives, and regular and specifically commissioned reviews.
That news will be welcomed by most in the clean energy and scientific communities, although there remain questions as to why the heads of fossil fuel companies and lobby groups remain in key positions at the CCA.
Other agencies such as the Clean Energy Regulator (317 to 347) and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (126 to 166) will also enjoy staffing boosts.
Labor is also committing a further $45.8 million in the next four years to boost Australia’s “international climate change set up”, again effectively to restore the country’s climate change diplomacy that was effectively abandoned during the Coalition years.
Climate Change minister Chris Bowen said more than $295 million would be spent out to 2029/30 on re-establishing Australia’s international climate leadership.
“Climate change is a global challenge,” Bowen said. “Given Australia’s vast renewable energy potential and reserves of critical minerals, our country has the opportunity to benefit from the global clean energy transition and work with international partners.
“This funding will help Australia seize that opportunity, delivering the Government’s climate agenda and restoring Australia’s climate leadership globally, as a renewable energy superpower on the path to net zero emissions by 2050.”
The funding would support Australia’s efforts within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and including efforts to secure a bid to host a future Conference of Parties, in partnership with Pacific Island nations.
“This really is the first budget in a decade to take climate seriously as both an opportunity and a threat,” the Climate Council’s Nicki Hutley said.
“From a climate perspective, this Budget is a refreshing change from what we have had to endure for many years now. Climate change was mentioned 220 times – it’s not front and centre – but it’s a vast improvement on recent years.”
