PDC: Energy, Environment and Climate Change Policy

Working group report
This working group was tasked with developing policy to deal with climate and environmental issues. This policy is in the development stage, so if you want to contribute email policydev@pirateparty.org.au.

Preamble
Pirate Party Australia accepts the scientific consensus on the need to address environmental degradation and climate change, and regards the welfare of future generations as sufficiently important to warrant applying a precautionary principle. Given global progress on this issue has been bogged down in recent years, we believe investment in innovation and technology is the best immediate way forward.

A 21st century energy grid
Australia has immense natural advantages as an energy producer. However, our energy model is plagued with problems: a host of decades-old coal power plants are reaching the end of their life, with accumulated maintenance costs on our ageing infrastructure recently rising above $100 billion. If nothing is done, a huge burden of costs will be shifted onto consumers and businesses in the form of perpetually rising energy prices. Such costs can be avoided, however: countries such as Canada, Denmark, and Norway have demonstrated that base-load renewable energy is not merely possible but feasible and functional. Large scale investment aimed at updating our energy grid could place us as the forefront of global renewable energy opportunities and provide businesses and consumers with the low and stable energy prices our economy urgently needs.

To meet this challenge, we propose the introduction of a unified, comprehensive feed-in tariff (FIT) on renewable energy. A FIT is a long-term contract offered to renewable energy producers which guarantees the purchase of power over time. Feed-in-tariffs are the most successful global mechanism for driving renewable energy   and offer a range of advantages over existing approaches:


 * FIT contracts can be varied for different types of renewable energy, allowing the creation of balanced and properly distributed energy grids. Renewable energy targets drive development only in the cheapest sources and are thus less able to underpin properly structured energy models.
 * FIT costs can be met out of general government revenue, reducing price burdens for consumers and businesses.
 * A unified national FIT would replace six piecemeal state schemes, hugely simplifying our national response to climate change.
 * Signed FIT contracts are binding and thus offer investors certainty in an environment where other proposals are threatened by political anti-science and squabbling.
 * FIT contracts on offer can have their terms dynamically adjusted based on the quantity of renewables deployed: this encourages early investment, caps costs, and present-day certainty with future adaptability.
 * Contracts can be allocated for smaller-scale community owned generation assets, enabling farms and small businesses to become energy suppliers and freeing communities to develop their own independent grids.

Pirate Party Australia will seek to address other energy priorities through a one-off allocation of funds. A technology fund will upgrade and prepare energy infrastructure and facilitate the uptake of hybrid and electric vehicles. These vehicles will lead to improved urban air quality and reduced reliance on foreign oil. Large-scale production of such vehicles will also be important in a future renewable grid since recharging of electric vehicle batteries constitutes a form of 'dispatchable demand' that can help to balance supply. Capital will also be made available to businesses to improve energy use and overcomes misaligned incentives (for example, cases where landlords have no incentive to improve buildings because power bills are paid by tenants).

Pirate Party Australia believes the turn away from fossil fuels must be decisive. The weight of scientific evidence now clearly shows that the bulk of remaining coal must be left in the ground in order to avoid catastrophic climate impacts on our ecology, oceans, cities and farms. While exploitation of existing mines is necessary and unavoidable, we will seek to pause approvals for new thermal coal exploration pending the viability and commercial use of Carbon Capture and Storage technology. A precautionary approach is also warranted for coal seam gas (CSG) extraction, which is currently being undertaken from a position of profound ignorance regarding its impacts on rivers, groundwater, and food security. Given the emerging evidence of fugitive emissions leaks and other unforeseen impacts, we believe hydraulic fracturing should be paused until additional evidence is available to demonstrate its safety.

Pirate Pirate Australia will also support existing measures including carbon pricing. Carbon pricing is an effective way to simultaneously drive investment, cut emissions and reduce taxes on work and savings.

While the changes required to our energy model are significant, the benefits for Australia will be immense. A transformation of Australia’s energy grid will meet climate change objectives and reduce the debilitating costs of dirty power sources on economic growth and public health. Investment in our farms and regions will provide economic stimulus during uncertain global times, and create tens of thousands of skilled jobs. Energy security and price stability will boost our economic resilience. The drain coal power imposes on our waterways will be curbed. Spending on investment now will also spare consumers and businesses from the massive deadweight costs of re-patching our coal grid.

Preserving Australia’s ecology
Pirate Party Australia believes management of our environment should be holistic and reflect the best available scientific knowledge. Cases such as the Murray Darling system demonstrate the risks of splitting ecosystem management across state borders: a more unified approach which recognises the interconnections and complexity of ecosystems is urgently needed. Accordingly, we will press for the development of a comprehensive biodiversity matrix to better classify land and ocean ecosystems. This will underpin a more scientifically-informed and unified approach to land management. It will also provide the public with essential information about the ecological health of our continent.

We will also seek to protect our irreplaceable heritage directly. Pirate Party Australia supports expansions to national parks and expanded investment in programs to protect biodiversity. We will also push for improved Federal protections against land and ocean degradation and misuse.

Questions of ecology and energy are ultimately an adjudication between the rights of current and future generations. The Pirate Party believes in the adoption of an open and scientific framework to help inform our answers to these difficult questions.

Policy text
The Pirate Party will seek to address ecological issues and climate change through the following measures.

Transform the energy grid to allow 80% electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030

 * Introduce a comprehensive feed-in tariff covering wind, solar PV, solar thermal, geothermal energy, hydropower and biomass with potential expansion to other energy forms.
 * Existing state solar tariff schemes will be integrated.
 * An expert panel will set tariff levels and contract lengths to support the creation of a balanced base-load grid.
 * Annual reviews and automatic degression as a function of the quantity of renewables deployed will apply.
 * A 15% allocation will support small-scale and community projects.
 * Grid connections will be mandatory where grid access is feasible, and a facilitation office will speed approval processes and provide mediation where required.
 * Consumers will receive energy price rebates to offset costs.
 * Consumers may choose to opt-out of rebates in favour of a voucher for installation of solar PV and/or accredited insulation systems.
 * Establish a $7 billion technology fund to facilitate fund grid upgrades, smart meter rollouts, technology export grants, and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
 * EV Locations will be determined in line with a national rollout plan and development of an Australian standard for EV rechargers.
 * Assistance to private operators who wish to operate recharging stations will be offered through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
 * A corporation will be created with joined State and federal government ownership to lease recharging sites on public land.

Adopt regulatory measures to improve energy efficiency

 * Retain a carbon tax based on the 2012 model until such a time as a strong global ETS is available.
 * Adopt EU 2020 vehicle fuel efficiency standards including the passenger vehicle target of 95g CO2/Km by 2023.
 * Ensure all buildings are subject to mandatory disclosure of energy ratings, with performance-based standards to all retrofits and new buildings.
 * Require that new buildings attain 6-star ratings under the NABERS system by 2015.
 * Extend commercial tax deductions to include purchase of appliances and equipment with enhanced efficiency ratings.
 * Provide a single public information source to outline energy incentives and easy and common ways for businesses to save energy.
 * An Energy Efficiency Finance corporation will be created to offer capital and fund guarantees for energy efficiency projects including retrofits, equipment upgrades, and Environmental Upgrade Agreements.
 * Funding of $3 billion will be provided, with investments required to generate a return to the taxpayer.
 * Collection of loan repayments through utility meters will be trialled.

Phase out coal and coal seam gas extraction

 * Ban development or expansion of new coal fired power stations.
 * Institute a moratorium on new or expanded thermal coal mines.
 * This moratorium will be reviewed once carbon capture and storage technology is in use by potential buyers.
 * Institute a moratorium on extraction of coal seam gas through hydraulic fracturing.
 * The moratorium will apply to new mines and additional fracturing on current mines in metropolitan areas.
 * Periodical reviews will assess evidence and present recommendations to the Government on the scientific case for lifting or modifying the moratorium.
 * Extraction and exploration in or around water catchment areas and aquifers will be permanently banned.
 * Landowners will be granted a right to refuse exploitation of coal seam gas on land they own.

Improve environmental management and land use

 * Provide a $5 billion land management fund to support biochar, reforestation, and re-vegetation of marginal land.
 * Expand the environmental oversight of the federal government to cover climate, rivers and water areas, national parks and forests
 * Provide independent statutory status to areas overseeing environmental approvals.
 * Ensure clear channels exist for local and community input, with autonomy devolved to regional communities and expert bodies in matters of purely local impact.
 * Enable all species reported as being at risk of extinction through any credible scientific source to be listed as “notifiable”.
 * Enact recovery plans and threat abatement plans for endangered species and ecological communities.
 * Reverse funding cuts to the Biodiversity Fund.
 * Develop a biodiversity matrix to classify land and ocean ecosystems and species distribution.
 * Information collected will be published, and will inform land use changes, development approvals, and management of national parks.
 * Increase national park thresholds to cover 15% of land in Australia, with a representative sample of at least 80% of regional ecosystems protected in each bio-region.
 * Engage NGOs in management of feral animals, with options to include the creation of fenced-off “arks” where endangered native species can be re-introduced.
 * Reverse the burden of proof currently applying to the 'Assessment and Approvals' section of the National Parks Act in areas where the biodiversity matrix records high biodiversity value.
 * Ban port expansions and stop dredging and offshore dumping of dredge spoil within World Heritage waters.
 * Provide additional $20 million funding to Reef Rescue program to support management of water quality issues associated with agriculture.