Media Statement - 5th September 2007
Under a Rudd Labor Government, Australia will become the clean energy hub of the Asia-Pacific, making clean energy central to Australia’s economic and environmental future.
Specific initiatives to help Australian businesses take a larger slice of the renewable energy market will include a $15 million Clean Energy Export Strategy and up to for a $20 million Clean Energy Enterprise Connect Centre.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that to avoid dangerous climate change, global emissions of greenhouse gases need to peak in the next 10 to 15 years and then drop to very low levels, well below half of levels in 2000 by mid-century.
Clean technologies will be critical in meeting this challenge. The global market for renewable energy is set to be worth US$750 billion a year by 2016, and more than 17,000 Australians are already employed in renewable energy and related industries, most of them in regional Australia.
Labor will harness clean energy research, innovation and enterprise, so that Australia can build a low carbon economy and export climate change solutions to the world.
The Clean Energy Export Strategy will provide critical capacity in Austrade to promote Australian clean energy exports. Austrade liaison officers will work with individual clean energy firms to match their strengths with opportunities in clean energy growth markets such as China, India, Japan and the United States.
The Clean Energy Enterprise Connect Centre will help make Australia’s small and medium sized clean energy companies export-ready with benchmarking services, practical assistance and access to prototyping and testing facilities.
Labor’s strategy will build on international efforts to foster clean energy technologies, most notably the US$6bn Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol.
Other Labor policies that will help grow Australia’s renewable energy industry include:
- substantially increasing the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target;
- offering $10,000 low interest loans for Australian families to undertake green home improvements;
- providing rebates for rooftop solar power systems and for solar hot water across Australia; and
- the establishment of a $50 million Australian Solar Institute and a $50 million geothermal initiative.
These policies will help Australian industry make the most of business opportunities – especially with emerging regional economies like China and India looking to low emission technologies to protect future economic growth.
Only Labor will tackle climate change – securing Australia’s long term prosperity while making the transition to a low-carbon future.
Labor’s Clean Energy Export Strategy
The Clean Energy Export Strategy will include:
1. Building capacity within Austrade to promote Australian clean energy exports;
2. Appointing Austrade liaison officers to work with individual clean energy firms to become export ready; and
3. Appointing specialist Austrade staff in clean energy growth markets in China, India, Japan and the United States to facilitate export opportunities.
Under this strategy, Austrade will:
- work with relevant bodies, including the Industry Capability Network, to establish a database of Australian capability in clean energy;
- identify opportunities in emerging markets and in major projects and events;
- maintain an information base on overseas governments’ climate change policies and regulatory developments that may provide new market opportunities;
- disseminate information on the development of the global market for clean energy technology through peak industry bodies and regional associations; and
- ensure that individuals with expertise in Australia’s clean technology capability are involved in relevant trade promotion events and activities.
The Clean Energy Export Strategy will help clean energy firms:
- identify export markets, including technological and consumer trends, and major projects and events;
- access domestic government support for the clean energy sector;
- take advantage of overseas governments’ climate change policies and regulatory developments that may provide new market opportunities; and
- build relationships with local businesses, government and industry groups in the clean energy sector overseas.
Labor’s Clean Energy Enterprise Connect Centre
Through the Clean Energy Enterprise Connect Centre, clean energy small and medium sized enterprises will be able to:
- benchmark themselves against best practice and receive advice on how to make themselves competitive in the global market;
- find and adapt the latest research and technology to improve their products and manufacturing processes;
- access prototyping and testing facilities to turn their innovative ideas into new products or to test their products for new markets;
- get help in identifying export markets and understanding relevant regulatory, cultural and market issues;
- receive support to become export ready, including through developing management and marketing skills; and
- cut through red tape to identify sources of government support for their innovation and export activities.
Through the Clean Energy Enterprise Connect Centre, businesses will also be able to gain quick access to services provided under Austrade’s Clean Energy Export Strategy.