‘Biggest announcement’: Palaszczuk hints at renewable energy target overhaul

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is gearing up to make “the biggest announcement in the energy and climate change space that Queensland will make”.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has flagged overhauling the state’s renewable energy target, declaring she will make “the biggest announcement in the energy and climate change space”.

Reports have previously suggested the state government was considering making its climate target more ambitious, but Ms Palaszczuk’s declaration on Tuesday is the strongest hint yet she plans to ramp-up its renewable energy focus.

In a speech to the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference in Brisbane on disaster risk reduction, Ms Palaszczuk also revealed a new five-year strategy to prepare for disaster resilience ahead of the state’s flooding and cyclone season.

The Premier’s statement is the strongest hint yet she plans to ramp-up the state’s renewable energy focus.

She said the government’s plan was to build back from disasters with more resilient infrastructure suitable for the state’s continued threats of catastrophic weather events, while also citing the need to improve climate energy policies to reduce the risk.

“We’re addressing climate change with our 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030 and a commitment to zero net emissions by 2050, with an interim target to reduce emissions by 30 per cent by 2030,” Ms Palaszczuk told the conference.

“And I’ll have more to say about that next week in my State of the State address.”

When asked after the speech if this was a direct indication she would make the climate target more ambitious, Ms Palaszczuk said the announcement would be “big”.

“Today sets the groundwork for the biggest announcement in the energy and climate change space that Queensland will make, and that will be at the State of the State next Wednesday,” she said.