Is Tasmania really net zero?
Tasmania’s carbon emissions
Tasmania reached net-zero emissions in 2015.
This means that emissions are still being generated in Tasmania, but they’re offset by carbon storage or renewable energy generation.
Tasmania is one of only a handful of net carbon-negative places on the planet.
This is because our vast forests and other natural landscapes also absorb and store more carbon each year than we emit.
And Tasmania also claims it is fully powered by renewable electricity, thanks to the island state’s wind and hydro-electricity projects.
A little creek in Tasmania :)
For more info, you can check out the report by the Tasmanian Policy Exchange (University of Tasmania) here.
Do we still need to take climate action if we’re net-zero already?
The short answer is yes.
We must reduce urgently emissions across all sectors of the Tasmanian economy.
Without ambitious reductions, we are on track to becoming a net-positive carbon emitter again.
Tasmania has a legislated target of being net zero emissions, or lower, from 2030.
Learn more about Tasmania’s emissions here.
The Tasmanian Government is currently consulting on a range of Emissions Reduction and Resilience plans for different sectors. These plans (once finalised) will outline how Tasmania will work to reduce emissions in transport, energy, waste and agriculture over the next two years.
Together, we have a lot of work ahead.
Why we still need climate action
In the energy sector, we are lucky in Tasmania to have plenty of renewable energy from hydro and wind power.
Over 99% of energy generated in Tasmania is renewable.
However, we also participate on the National Energy Market.
This means that when the price is right, we sell our renewable power to other states and territories in Australia, and purchase cheaper coal fired (or other) power for Tasmanians to use.
The graph below shows the sources of energy used in Tasmania in 2023 (prepared by UTAS).
Renewable energy made up around 75% of Tasmania’s energy usage.
However, we imported 13% from the National Energy Market (NEM).
Energy on the NEM in the same time period was almost 60% coal.
Graph showing Tasmania’s energy usage in 2023.
When we add transport into the mix, renewable energy only accounts for 42% of Tasmania’s energy sources.
Statistics from Department of Climate Change.
This reliance on non-renewable energy sources undermines our net zero achievements.
And it certainly isn’t helping us tackle climate change.
What can we do?
Here are some of the key things we can do as individuals in our day to day lives:
Switch to renewable energy, install solar panels or change to a renewable energy electricity provider.
Switch to low emissions transport, use active and public transport where possible and replace petrol and diesel cars with electric.
Improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption and…
Get off gas, replace gas appliances with efficient electric alternatives.
Achieving Tasmania’s targets will require a coordinated effort across government, industry, and communities to ensure long-lasting impact and success.
Lets work together to make sure Tasmania can meet its targets and reduce emissions as much as possible.