25% renewable energy achieveable by 2020

The Australian Conservation Foundation in association with Greenpeace and Climate Action Network Australia has recently released a report outlining the impacts of setting a 25% renewable energy target by 2020.

The report found that a 25% renewable energy target would deliver 16,600 new jobs to Australians, generate $33 billion in new investment and create enough renewable electricity to power every home in Australia.

According to Don Henry, the Executive Director of ACF, “It will cost Australia dearly to allow electricity use to continue spiralling out of control – with current projections our electricity use could rise by nearly 30% over the next 14 years....More significantly, it would reduce our annual greenhouse emissions by 69 million tonnes – almost as much as the emissions from all road transport in Australia”

On a world scale, Australia has unrivalled access to solar, wind, and geothermal resources, but unfortunately our current government does not see the environmental benefits as well as the economic benefits of investing in a new industry.

The report outlines that based on current trends and targets renewable energy will only total around 10% by 2020, compared the EU which is targeting 21% by 2010 and California which is targeting 33% by 2020.