SYDNEY (CU)_The federal government of Australia is often subject to criticism over its poor contributions towards tackling the climate crisis. However, outside of Canberra, Australian states and territories are forging ahead with larger climate goals, with every local government having pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050, long before the federal government. Therefore, when NSW Liberal Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean says that in the state’s journey in the energy transition, which party wins the May election makes little difference, we believe him.
“From our perspective it doesn’t matter who’s in government, because we’ve got very clear plans and policies here in New South Wales that are in the interests of New South Wales taxpayers, and the families and businesses that operate here,” he told the Australian Financial Review. “We’ll work with whoever sits in the federal parliament to make sure we get the best outcome for the public.”
Minister Kean, who is eager to talk up his vision for a sustainable future for NSW. He aims to redefine the state as “an energy and economic superpower”, steering away from its reputation as a global powerhouse in thermal coal exports. Coal is the largest earner of exports for the state, having contributed a whopping $1.5 billion to the NSW budget in 2019-20. Meanwhile, 81 per cent of the state’s electricity needs are supplied by non-renewable sources. Therefore, it is clear that the transformation required is dramatic.
“This is not just a play for our environment, this is a major strategic economic play to underwrite the future prosperity of our state and our nation,” he said. “Today, half of the world’s wealth is being created in jurisdictions that have committed to net zero, so those markets that have previously underwritten our state’s prosperity are changing, and we want to make sure we’re well-placed to take advantage of those global megatrends in a way that will create jobs, drive investment into New South Wales and underwrite prosperity like the state’s never seen before.”
