Thursday 10 November 2022
MEDIA RELEASE
PROPERTY COUNCIL WELCOMES DRIVE TO SLASH ENERGY BILLS AND CUT BUILDING EMISSIONS
The Property Council of Australia welcomes today's release of the Australian Government's National Energy Performance Strategy consultation paper.
Property Council Chief Executive Ken Morrison said the launch of the consultation paper is a critical and welcome milestone.
"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," Mr Morrison said.
The commitment was announced at the 2022 Energy Efficiency Summit last month by Assistant Minister for Climate Change, Energy and the Environment Jenny McAllister, and will drive a long overdue focus on the efficient use of energy across Australian households, commercial and industrial businesses.
"Australia's residential and commercial buildings account for a quarter of Australia's emissions and around half of Australia's electricity consumption," Mr Morrison said.
"If we can make buildings far more energy efficient, we will reduce greenhouse emissions faster and more cheaply than many other options.
"As bills mount in the wake of surging global energy prices, and the climate change crisis worsens, the case for energy efficiency has never been stronger," he said.
The Property Council welcomes the focus in the consultation paper on improving energy performance in residential homes and commercial buildings, as well as opening a discussion on energy market governance reforms to better balance demand side and supply side initiatives.
"Demand and supply need to be given equal billing in a two-way 21st Century energy system," Mr Morrison said.
"The electrification of our economy presents an enormous opportunity to remove the need for more expensive network infrastructure and investment through energy efficient electric buildings that draw less from the grid to run appliances or charge EVs when renewables are cheap and plentiful," he said.
Importantly, Mr Morrison said, the strategy also contemplates a national energy efficiency target, a welcome initiative.
"An energy efficiency target needs to deliver all the electricity and gas savings already assumed - but not yet locked in - through AEMO's Integrated System Plan, as well as targeting further cost-effective opportunities to cut bills and emissions," Mr Morrison said.
