The Andrews Labor Government is continuing to lead the nation on climate action – smashing the state’s 2020 emission reduction targets on our path to net zero while driving Victorian families’ power bills down.

Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio today released the Victorian Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report 2020, showing the state’s emissions fell to almost 30 per cent below 2005 levels in 2020 – almost doubling the target of a 15 to 20 per cent reduction.

Victoria’s emissions dropped almost 6 per cent between 2019 and 2020, with the largest drops found in the electricity sector, with a reduction of 2.2 million tonnes of emissions, and transport – reducing its emissions by 1.9 million tonnes.

In 2020, Victoria saw the third-lowest emissions of any state or territory across the nation, after Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.

Investment in renewable electricity generation has seen renewables jump from 22 to 25 per cent of Victoria’s electricity consumption between 2019 and 2020, with the state’s share of energy generation hitting a new high of 34 per cent renewables in the 2021-22 financial year.

The Victorian land sector’s role in absorbing emissions has also continued to grow, with the state’s forests and natural systems absorbing more than a quarter of Victoria’s emissions in 2020.

The Labor Government’s ambitious transition to clean energy has seen Victoria become one of the first jurisdictions in the world to legislate net zero emissions, launch Australia’s first offshore wind targets and delivering the nation-leading Solar Homes program – are paving the way to a 50 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.

Following independent expert advice, the Government announced targets to halve Victoria’s emissions by 2030 in the Climate Change Strategy – putting Victoria alongside international climate leaders like the European Union and United States.

Next year, the Government will set an interim 2035 emissions reduction target following advice of an independent expert panel announced as required by the Climate Change Act.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio

“Our nation-leading investment in renewable energy has helped us smash our 2020 emissions target – and we’re well on the way to reducing emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.”

“It’s only the Labor Government that has a track record of delivering on climate change – slashing emissions while driving down the cost of living for Victorian families.”