On Wednesday 31 October 2018, Michael asked the Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy about the IPCCs climate projections with reference to Adani and the Galilee Basin.
You can read the question below or in the official Queensland Parliament Record of Proceedings (Hansard), or watch it HERE.
Mr BERKMAN: My question is for the Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy.
Mr Millar interjected.
Mr BERKMAN: The world’s top scientists at the IPCC have confirmed that we must stop digging up thermal coal by 2050, so today I will introduce a bill to stop all coalmining in the Galilee Basin including Adani, which would run to 2080. Will the minister support my bill or will he side with climate change deniers?
Mr SPEAKER: Member for Gregory, I believe you said words to the effect of, ‘Here we go.’ Is that correct?
Mr MILLAR: Yes.
Mr SPEAKER: You are warned under standing orders. I asked for silence during questions.
Dr LYNHAM: I seem to have addressed this question last parliamentary sitting, but I will continue. The IPCC has recommended that renewable energy targets be met. Our renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030 meets its guidelines and we are commended on that because we are addressing climate change here in Queensland—unlike what I heard when I was at the energy COAG last Friday where we tried to have climate change raised as an issue and to intrinsically link it with the vestige of the federal government energy policy, but we failed to get it over the line. There is no doubt that climate change is a very important issue for members on this side of the House compared to members on that side of the House.
As resources minister I am proud of our mining industry here in Queensland.
We have vast mineral deposits in Queensland and we employ 60,000 people in our workforce in Queensland. We mine—75 per cent of our coal is metallurgical coal—200 million tonnes per annum from Queensland to a world market of 8,000 million tonnes per annum. We are a very niche market of high-quality coal compared to the rest of the world. We can have a balance—and we do have a balance—with energy policy and with climate change, and we respect climate change in our state.
We respect our policy on climate change in our state—our 50 per cent renewable energy policy, exporting high-quality coal to the world—but we also realise that there has to be a just transition from the energy mix we have now to a more renewable focused energy mix as we move to 2030 and beyond.
That is what the Palaszczuk Labor government is achieving—a steady transition, a sure set of hands as we move forward addressing climate change. We want the population of Queensland to come with us in this journey towards a renewable future and we can do that with steady hands—sure hands—to make sure that Queenslanders have reliable power to power their industry, their manufacturing, their homes. We need reliable power all the way through—
Mr BERKMAN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. The minister would be well aware that our domestic renewables policy—
Mr SPEAKER: Member, please cease speaking. What are you rising to a point of order on? Please address the standing order.
Mr BERKMAN: The relevance of renewable production in Queensland to—
Mr SPEAKER: Member, please resume your seat. I have been listening to the minister’s response. I believe he is being responsive to your question. I would like to hear the remainder of his answer.
Dr LYNHAM: We have a steady, sure set of hands as we move forward with a policy of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030, a just transition for our workforce during that time and we are taking all Queensland families with us on that journey—cheap, reliable, renewable power into the future. Reliable, renewable power is what Queensland families want. That is what we are delivering as costs continue to come down in terms of electricity prices for all Queensland families.