22 June 1992

Australia's record on energy wastage is so appalling that the country need only adopt the most basic measures in order to cut its greenhouse gas emissions.

Australians could cut greenhouse gases by one fifth and save the economy $6.2bn a year through energy savings in transport, homes, factories and offices, acoording to environmental spokesperson for the Institution of Englneers, Australia, Ms Deni Greene.

Ms Greene's research indicates that to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in 1988-level greenhouse emissions by 2005, Australian consumers will not need to deprive themselves, and industry could actually save at ieast $3 biilion a year.

There is stlll heated debate about whether the Australian target can occur cost effectively and without damaging Australia's interests.

The Institution of Engineers has released its own policy on greenhouse gases, and has been a vocal player in the debate since its chief executive, John Enfield, slammed environment minister Ros Keily over hints at the introauction of a carbon tax.

But Ms Greena argues that suggestions that a coal tax, or other economic sacrifices, may be needed to curb gas emissions are alarmist and wrong. She says the Australian interim target could easily be achieved&emdash;and surpassed&emdash;if Australia adopted realtively basic energy savlng principles and technologies.

"I don't think that people understand its to everyone's advantage for us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," she said.

Ms Greene says Australians currenty release more greenhouse emissions per capita than does any other nation in the OECD. The country is releasing 11 tonnes person of greenhouse gases a year, compared with an OECD average of 6.1 tonnes and a world averaye of just 2.5 tonnes. Australia generates 4.3 tonnes of carbon dioxlde per person a year from energy use, compared with the OECD average of 3.4.

Ms Greene said Australia was also the only OECD country with an almost complete absense of energy-efficient building regulations, with Victoria being the only state to have established insulation requirements - and then these only applied to residential buildings.

While countries like Japan already had an excellent energy record and would find it hard to reduce their greenhouse emissions by much further, Ms Greene said the Australian goal would actually be easy to achieve....

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