Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Mark Dreyfus, has introduced the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) legislation to Parliament following agreement between the Gillard Government, the New Zealand Government and states and territories.

 

The GEMS legislation will regulate energy efficiency and labelling standards for appliances and other products. It will also give effect to commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to adopt national policies and measures to mitigate climate change and limit Australia’s anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, and to promote the development and application of technologies and practices that control anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases.

 

The Bill establishes a national framework for regulating the energy efficiency of products supplied or used within Australia and permits the Australian Government to set mandatory minimum efficiency requirements for products, to drive greater energy efficiency for regulated products. The Bill also allows the Australian Government to set nationally-consistent labelling requirements, to increase Australians’ awareness of options to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption, energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.  The national framework will replace seven state and territory legislative frameworks, harmonising Australia’s equipment energy efficiency regulations. 

 

GEMS will incorporate the Equipment Energy Efficiency Program (E3) that set has minimum energy performance standards for more than 20 years to remove inefficient products from the market. The E3 Program has proven so successful that in 2005, 83% of all Australian consumers surveyed reported referring to the Program’s Energy Rating Labels when purchasing major household appliances. In 2010, the energy savings arising from the more efficient air conditioners and refrigerators required by the E3 Program was calculated at 6.6 terawatt hours, a benefit valued at over $1 billion.

 

The GEMS legislation expands and addresses inconsistencies in the E3 Program.

 

The Australian Government committed $37.1 million over four years in the 2012-2013 Budget to fund the Australian Government’s share of the cooperative E3 Program. This funding will be supported by contributions from New Zealand and Australian state and territory jurisdictions that participate in the E3 Program.

 

The GEMS legislation is available at: www.aph.gov.au/bills.

 

Additional information about the background to the GEMS legislation can be found at: www.climatechange.gov.au/