Heat on Climate Change Minister Roger Jaensch after deadline missed for transport emissions plan

Climate Change Minister Roger Jaensch is under fire after a deadline was missed for the development of a key plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Tasmania.

Heavy traffic in bound to Hobart on the Southern Outlet. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The politician spearheading Tasmania’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been accused of failing to meet the requirements of the state’s climate change legislation after the Rockliff government missed the deadline for the release of a key emissions reduction plan.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Roger Jaensch has been leading public consultation around the Rockliff government’s draft emissions reduction and resilience plan for the transport sector.

Transport accounts for about 21 per cent of Tasmania’s greenhouse gas emissions, (excluding land use, land use change and forestry), with the majority of transport emissions coming from cars, heavy-duty trucks and buses and light commercial vehicles, according to Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Roger Jaensch. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The government is required to develop emissions reduction and resilience plans for seven key sectors, including waste, energy, and agriculture, after the state’s Climate Change (State Action) Act 2008 was updated in November 2022. The transport plan is the first being developed.

The act enforces an emissions reduction target for the state of net zero emissions or lower from 2030.

According to the legislation, the government was required to prepare the transport plan by November 30, 2023 – a deadline it appears to have missed. Consultation on the draft plan began in October and closed on November 29, which would have given the government a mere day to consider public feedback before preparing the final plan.

Tasmanian Conservation Trust CEO Peter McGlone said Mr Jaensch needed to “take responsibility for the deadline for this crucial first plan being missed”.

Tasmanian Conservation Trust CEO Peter McGlone. Picture: Chris Kidd

“In my opinion, the minister has contravened a critical requirement of legislation that he himself introduced,” Mr McGlone said.

“There is no good excuse for missing the deadline as the government has had 12 months to develop the plan. If the government is to be taken seriously on promises to reduce carbon emissions the minister should resign.

“Whatever the reason for missing this deadline the result will be that there is yet another delay by the Liberal government acting to reduce carbon emissions in Tasmania’s transport sector.”

The Mercury approached Mr Jaensch for comment but received a response from a government spokeswoman, who said Renewables, Climate, and Future Industries Tasmania (ReCFIT) was “in the process of analysing the submissions and anticipates releasing a final plan [in early 2024]”.

Traffic in Hobart. Picture: Matt Thompson

“The plan is a complex area of the act that needs to be considered in conjunction with other sectoral emissions reduction and resilience plans,” she said.

“Consideration of a number of government strategies such as the Keep Hobart Moving Plan, River Derwent Ferry Service Masterplan, and the recently announced Net Zero Roadmap for transport at the national level, are also being undertaken.”

The other sector plans are due to be finalised by November 30, 2024.

Climate action campaigners criticised the draft transport emissions reduction and resilience plan, saying it made no new policy commitments, such as increasing the number of bus services, introducing financial incentives for electric vehicle (EV) purchases, or targets for EV uptake and overall emissions reduction in the sector.

According to the International Energy Agency, Australia’s per capita road transport emissions are 45 per cent higher than the OECD average.

Originally published as Heat on Climate Change Minister Roger Jaensch after deadline missed for transport emissions plan