Northern Territory to be a net zero hero by 2050

The Northern Territory has committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Recently the NT government released its Climate Change Response: Towards 2050 document and a three-year action plan, which are built around four key objectives.

The objectives are:

• Slashing emissions to achieve net zero emissions by 2050
• Building a resilient Territory that adapts and responds to the impacts of climate change
• Unlocking opportunities from a low-carbon future
• Informing and involving all Territorians in the climate change response.

The plan notes it will deliver priority actions to achieve a 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030, with solar power a centrepiece of this.

“Every state and territory has now adopted a net-zero target, meaning Australia now has a de facto national net-zero target,” says Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie.

“The states and territories are leading the charge in tackling climate change and showing that they are serious about protecting Australians from worsening extreme weather.

“Darwin is in the climate firing line, and if climate change continues unabated, then the city is expected to experience 43 days above 35°C on average each year by 2030 and up to 265 by 2090.”

In order to achieve its plan, the NT has developed several policies, strategies, and initiatives, including a large emitters policy, an emissions reductions strategy, and a greenhouse gas emissions offsets policy.

“The national net-zero target is a message to all investors,” McKenzie says. “Australia will be out of fossil fuels by 2050. The NT has some of the best solar resources in the world, and can harness that incredible power to lead its economy out of the COVID-19 crisis and set up for the growth industries of the future.

“A clean-jobs recovery can drive huge amounts of private clean energy investment, create jobs and help to protect communities in the Northern Territory.”