AUSTRALIA SETS ITS SIGHTS ON RENEWABLES

摘要

The subject of climate change has had a low profile in many recent national elections - its urgency being displaced by issues such as employment and the global recession. But this year in Australia it played a keen role. And it is carbon policy that will be ultimately be mapping out the future for ongoing renewables development, not least by shifting the economic viability of Australia's power-generating status quo - coal and natural gas - and by rendering renewables more competitive. The vast landmass of Australia has a population of just over 22 million. That's the same as the city of Beijing, or two-thirds of the population of California. Rich in natural reserves of minerals and fossil fuels, Australia is the world's leading exporter of coal - much of which now goes to China. But coal is much used at home as well. Australia relies heavily on it for its electric power, with black coal accounting for about 55% of power generation, and brown coal about 25%. Australia's small population has a high per capita energy consumption, and some of the world's highest per capita emissions of greenhouse gases, half of which come from the power sector.