The State of South Australia

South Australia was established in the 19th century as a planned community, with an emphasis on civil liberties and religious tolerance; today its economy centers on the agricultural, manufacturing and mining industries, with a growing banking sector. 

Much of the region is arid and vulnerable to changes in temperature and waterfall that could be brought on by climate change. The State Government has taken a leading role on climate change mitigation and adaptation, and is a co-chair of The Climate Group’s States and Regions program.

Since Australia has signed the Kyoto agreement, as a constituent state South Australia is obliged to reduce its carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2012. It has set its own ambitious goals to complement this target and to go further towards a long-term commitment to sustainability, including a target to reduce carbon emissions by 60% from 1990 levels by 2050. The government also adopted a target for environmental sustainability, to reduce South Australia’s ecological footprint by 30% by 2050

These targets are set out alongside strategies for achieving them in the South Australia Greenhouse Strategy 2007-2020. This document also outlines methods of climate change adaptation and a set of policies to encourage innovation in clean technology.

Statutory progress reviews on these targets are to be conducted every two years. The first review, in 2009, concluded that the State is expected to achieve its 2014 and 2020 targets, and proposed no amendments at the time. 

The Government has negotiated a set of formal cooperative agreements between itself and a range of organizations to engage them in helping to tackle climate change. These organizations include industries, community groups, business entities and regional governments.

Energy efficiency

South Australia aims to become a world leader in the creation of a carbon neutral built environment. As an example, it aims to improve the energy efficiency of Government buildings by 25% between 2000 and 2014, and has put in place relevant policies.

The A$2m Building Innovation Fund was set up to demonstrate innovative ways to reduce the carbon footprint of existing commercial buildings.

The Residential Energy Efficiency Scheme (REES) requires energy retailers in South Australia to meet their supply targets by improving energy efficiency in households. Suppliers are also required to deliver energy audits to low income households.

Mandatory water and energy saving measures are now in place for new and existing homes. Solar hot water rebates allow low income households to comply with new performance standards.

Renewable energy

The Government is committed to raising the proportion of renewable energy in the state to 20% by the end of 2014. With a widely dispersed population outside Adelaide and large solar and geothermal resources, renewable energy has the potential to meet the region’s substantial off-grid needs.

South Australia introduced the country’s first feed-in tariff to incentivize householders and small energy consumers to install solar panels by offering generous tariffs for selling unused energy to the electricity grid. 

To exploit the state’s significant geothermal power potential, over A$686 million in geothermal investment is forecast for South Australia during the period from 2002 to 2013.

The State Government is supporting the development of Australia’s largest off-grid solar power station to be built in Coober Pedy. This A$7.1 million project will include the establishment of 26 solar dishes, each one 14 meters high and tracking the arc of the sun. When completed at the end of 2009, the solar power station will generate 13% of Coober Pedy’s total electricity requirement. 

The Adelaide Showgrounds upgrade will include a A$8 million project to install 10,000 square meters of solar panels, generating over 1 kilowatt of power.

From 2008 all new major school construction work will incorporate green measures. This adds to the South Australia Solar Schools Program which aims to install 250 solar panels on schools by 2014.

Clean transport

The Government will increase the use of public transport to 10% of metropolitan weekday passenger vehicle kilometers travelled by 2018. In order to do this, it made a ten-year, A$2 billion investment into the metropolitan rail network, green buses and cycling infrastructure starting in 2009. In addition, half of the State Government’s vehicle fleet have used alternative and low carbon fuels since 2010.

Sustainable land use

The Government has planted over two million indigenous plants in Adelaide since 2003 and is on target to plant three million by 2014 as part of the Murray Forest program. The Government is also undertaking research into minimizing agricultural waste and testing the feasibility of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) though industrial and biological means.

Waste management

Zero Waste SA was set up to reduce waste to the landfill by 25% by 2014, one of the targets set out in the Strategic Plan. The Waste Strategy 2005 - 2010 has reduced the amount of waste going to landfill in the State by 17.32% since 2003-2004 and continues to encourage responsible resource management.

International collaboration

In 2009 the South Australian Government established the annual South Australian International Climate Change Leadership Award to recognize and encourage leadership by regional governments in response to the challenges of climate change. Winners gain international recognition and have an area of South Australian urban forest named in their honor.

South Australia is a co-chair of The Climate Group’s international States and Regions Alliance.

Smart cities

Adelaide Solar City is a program to improve the efficiency of commercial buildings and to roll out solar panels as an energy source across whole districts.

Links

South Australia Zero Waste program

Building Innovation Fund