2022 Energy Efficiency Summit held on 6 October in Sydney
With the Property Council’s inaugural Energy Efficiency Summit as its platform, the Albanese Government has announced its forthcoming National Energy Performance Strategy, an important first step in lowering energy bills and improving energy efficiency.
As part of the new Strategy announced by Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister at the 2022 Energy Efficiency Summit last Friday, delegates called on all governments to consult and develop an ambitious national energy efficiency target to 2030, backed in by a robust, fully funded set of policies and programs to deliver it to help address the energy affordability, climate change and health crisis.
The convening CEOs of co-hosts ACOSS, Ai Group, Energy Efficiency Council and Property Council of Australia welcomed the announcement from the federal government.
“Today marks a critical and welcome milestone with the Government’s commitment to a national energy efficiency strategy. Australians are facing skyrocketing energy bills and cost of living pressures and policies that will reduce energy bills and slash emissions are a no brainer,” Property Council Chief Executive Ken Morrison said on the day of the announcement.
“Australia’s residential and commercial buildings account for a quarter of Australia’s emissions and around half of Australia’s electricity consumption. If we can make buildings far more energy efficient, we’ll reduce greenhouse emissions faster and more cheaply than many other options, and it will also mean we need to spend less on expensive network infrastructure which will be good for consumers.”
Announcing development of the strategy at the Summit in Sydney, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister stressed the need to reform current policy settings.
“We’re acting to put in place a strategy that will help us create a high energy performance economy, meet our emissions reduction targets, and enable us to put downward pressure on energy prices,” Assistant Minister McAllister said.
“And we’re doing this important work in consultation with state and territory governments, businesses, households and community groups across the nation.”
Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel said the announcement will see the beginning of a new chapter in energy efficiency.
“The combined efforts of the organisations represented at today’s summit stands a strong chance of achieving a triple win – lowering bills for consumers, reducing emissions, and making the Australian economy more productive and competitive,” he said.
A discussion paper on how to deliver energy efficiency improvements across the economy and help Australia meet its emissions reduction targets, will be released in coming weeks.