The Australian Government’s Low Emissions Technology Statement released today outlines the pathway for a technology-driven strategy to reduce emissions, consistent with Australia’s Paris Agreement objectives and with addressing the risks of climate change.
As part of the Statement’s focus on technology, innovation and emissions reduction, APPEA Chief Executive Andrew McConville said natural gas had an essential role to play.
“Both in Australia and across Asia, natural gas is a lower emissions energy source that can see the emissions intensity of electricity generation fall, particularly on the east coast,” Mr McConville said.
“Natural gas-fired generators are flexible technologies which can be easily ramped up and down to meet demand, making them complementary with intermittent renewable energy.
“Alongside this opportunity at home, exporting natural gas as LNG is allowing our Asian trading partners to reduce emissions in their economies. Reducing global emissions is a global effort, and as an energy exporter Australia is doing its part through many channels.”
As the Government noted in releasing the Statement:
Getting the technologies of the future right will support 130,000 jobs by 2030, and avoid in the order of 250 million tonnes of emissions in Australia by 2040. If these technologies achieve widespread deployment globally, they will significantly reduce emissions from energy, transport, agriculture and heavy industry.
Mr McConville said the Statement’s inclusion of a range of technologies, including carbon capture and storage (greenhouse gas storage) and hydrogen is important recognition that these technologies can achieve large-scale abatement while providing significant economic opportunity.
“These are areas where Australia’s existing comparative advantage and experience in natural gas development and exports provide significant opportunities for the further development of these technologies,” Mr McConville said.
“Importantly, these technologies are large scale, capital intensive and will lead to enduring emissions reductions. It will be important that the focus on these technologies through the annual Statement process is similarly enduring.
“The oil and gas industry’s focus on innovation and technological development means it is ideally placed to continue a constructive role in emissions reduction as Australia moves towards a lower carbon future.”
Read fact sheets on the gas industry’s role in emissions reduction:
