I thank the Member for Glen Waverley his request for me to visit the Glen Waverly district to see the wonderful local activities to address climate change, and for his commitment to strong climate action in his community. Climate change is a critical issue for Victoria and the world and the Victorian Government is taking strong and lasting climate action.
We are the first government in Australia to set a 2035 emissions reduction target. We’ll reduce Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions by 75-80% below 2005 levels and achieve net-zero emissions by 2045 – which is one of the earliest net zero dates in the world. These world leading targets align Victoria with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C by the end of the century to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Achieving net zero will require action by governments, businesses and communities and The Victorian Government is taking strong action to cut emissions across all sectors, such as setting a new target of 95% renewable electricity generation by 2035 and supporting investments in solar panels and residential batteries, energy efficiency upgrades and electrification.
I am pleased to hear about the strong uptake of solar panels in your electorate, with your constituents joining the more than 200,000 Victorians who have already applied for rebates under the Solar Homes program. We expect the program to support the installation of solar on more than 600,000 Victorian homes over 10 years.
I am also pleased to hear about the savings households in your area are making from their solar panels. Typical households can save up to $1,073 per year on their electricity bills when they install solar panels, and the program has already cut Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than two million tonnes.
Victoria is a national leader in reducing emissions from our homes and businesses, while also supporting households and businesses to save on their energy bills. Our flagship energy efficiency initiative, the Victorian Energy Upgrades program was established in 2009 and in 2022 it supported more than 500,000 homes and 47,000 businesses to install energy efficient appliances and products.
Victoria was also the first state to introduce minimum energy efficiency requirements for rented homes, with a heater standard coming into force in 2021. Further work on standards for insulation, weather sealing, and hot water are underway.
I thank the Member for raising this matter and the important effort of his constituents to address climate change. I am very much looking forward to visiting the Glen Waverly district soon to see climate action on the ground in the community.
Hon Lily D’Ambrosio MP
Minister for Climate Action
Minister for Energy and Resources
Minister for the State Electricity Commission
