Climate change in South Australia

Climate change in South Australia affects various environments and industries, including agriculture.

Greenhouse gas emissions

The state's emissions amounted to 76.23 million tonnes in 2005 compared to 82.64 million tonnes in 2022.[1]

Impacts of climate change

Forest fires

Soaring temperatures led to catastrophic forest fires during the 2019–20 bushfire season.[2]

Response

Policies

South Australia's deployment of renewables during 2011 and 2020 is considered "significant".[3] South Australia's tree-planting laws are considered to be the weakest in Australia.[4] The Whyalla were put into administration and it is planned that the South Australian government will fund its conversion to renewable energy.[5][6]

Legislation

Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007
Parliament of South Australia
  • An Act to provide for measures to address climate change with a view to assisting to achieve a sustainable future for the State; to set targets to achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within the State; to promote the use of renewable sources of energy; to promote business and community understanding about issues surrounding climate change; to facilitate the early development of policies and programs to address climate change; and for other purposes
CitationNo 22 of 2007
Assented to2007-06-28
Commenced2007-07-02
Legislative history
Bill titleClimate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Bill 2006
Bill citationNo 83 of 2006
Keywords
emissions targets
Status: In force

Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007

The Act was the first climate legislation in Australia.[7] This made South Australia the first state in Australia to commit to greenhouse gas emissions cuts,[8] one of the first commonwealth jurisdictions with climate laws[9] and the first jurisdiction in the world with a binding 2050 target.[10] The Act facilitates the early development of policies and programmes to support renewables and promotes the uptake of renewables by wholesale purchasers.[11]

The Act legislates that the state has a legal obligation to ensure that emissions are reduced by 60% to an amount that is equal to or less than 40% of 1990 emissions levels.[12]

In 2024, an amendment bill was tabled in the South Australian Parliament to further strengthen the targets - net zero emissions by 2027.[13]

Under the legislation the government of South Australia also made a commitment to make Adelaide "the world's first carbon neutral city" by 2020.[14]

By 2018 local generation of wind and solar electricity had reached 52% and emissions had fallen 32% compared to 2005 levels.[10] Local generation of electricity is expected to reach 100% by 2025.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ Shine, Rhiannon (2024-04-24). "WA's greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb above 2005 levels despite net zero pledge". ABC. Archived from the original on 2024-05-02. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  2. ^ "Australia fires: 'Catastrophic' alerts in South Australia and Victoria". BBC News. 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  3. ^ Nelson, Tim; Nolan, Tahlia; Gilmore, Joel (2022). "What's next for the Renewable Energy Target – resolving Australia's integration of energy and climate change policy?". Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics. 66 (1): 136–163. doi:10.1111/1467-8489.12457. hdl:10072/410194. ISSN 1467-8489.
  4. ^ Delaporte, Kate; Marker, Kiri; Caddy-Retalic, Stefan (2024-04-10). "Adelaide is losing 75,000 trees a year. Tree-removal laws must be tightened if we want our cities to be liveable and green". The Conversation. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  5. ^ Barrett, Jonathan (2025-03-03). "The 'scary' state of Whyalla steelworks' bank balance revealed by administrators". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  6. ^ Fildes, Nic (2025-02-20). "Australia to pump $1.5bn into Gupta steelworks after taking control". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2025-02-20. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  7. ^ Christoff, Peter; Eckersley, Robyn (2021-10-21). "Convergent evolution: framework climate legislation in Australia". Climate Policy. 21 (9): 1190–1204. doi:10.1080/14693062.2021.1979927. ISSN 1469-3062.
  8. ^ Darby, Megan (2015-07-02). "Why South Australia is eyeing a renewable future". Climate Home News. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  9. ^ Scotford, Eloise; Minas, Stephen; Macintosh, Andrew (2017-10-02). "Climate change and national laws across Commonwealth countries". Commonwealth Law Bulletin. 43 (3–4): 318–361. doi:10.1080/03050718.2017.1439361. ISSN 0305-0718.
  10. ^ a b c Christoff, Peter; Eckersley, Robyn (2021-10-21). "Convergent evolution: framework climate legislation in Australia". Climate Policy. 21 (9): 1190–1204. doi:10.1080/14693062.2021.1979927. ISSN 1469-3062.
  11. ^ "Environment and Climate Regulation Comparative Guide". www.mondaq.com. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  12. ^ "(South Australia) Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007 – Policies". IEA. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  13. ^ "Why SA's climate action is creating global buzz". The Post. 2024-11-15. Archived from the original on 2025-02-19. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  14. ^ Crossman, Sarah; Spoehr, John; Siebentritt, Mark (2016). "Climate Change and the Adaptive Economy: Discussion Paper". Australian Industrial Transformation Institute. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.31437.69607.
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