AgZero2030 conference: WA regions have key role to play in transition to net zero

A record 200 people attended this year’s AgZero2030 conference, a sign of the times reflecting growing interest within WA’s agriculture sector in tackling climate change. AgZero2030 chairman Simon Wallwork said given WA’s resources the State clearly has a key role to play in Australia’s transition to net zero. He said the AgZero2030 group of supporters had grown to become a network of people committed to responding positively towards climate change action within the agricultural industry. “Collaboration, communication and engagement is leading the way towards a positive transition,” Mr Wallwork said. Labor Senator Sue Lines, who was the opening speaker at the June 20 event in Perth, said the Federal Government saw regional communities playing a key role in Australia’s energy transformation. She said Australia’s energy transformation included urgent action on changing how electricity and energy is produced and used. Also embracing changing methods of operation in transport and agriculture and reform with regards to future land use and built environments. “This is ambitious but necessary action,” Mrs Lines said. “We need to encourage faster decarbonisation in Australian agriculture. ”It will be the biggest transformation we have seen globally since the industrial revolution.” Mrs Lines praised AgZero2030 as advocates for climate-conscious farming practices. ”Farmers are on the frontline of climate change,” Mrs Lines said. ”Our Government is committed to working with our world-class agricultural industry, we must commit to listen to each other.” Mrs Lines said there were huge economic opportunities in regions as Australia worked towards reducing emissions. She said already the Federal Government was helping farmers through the impact of climate change with schemes such as the Future Drought Fund and projects focused on water security part of this important work. ”Recent budget commitments are not an end but a very important start,” Mrs Lines said. ”We are laying the foundation for future action.” She said low-carbon liquid fuels were an important part of decarbonisation in the future which the Australian agricultural industry would play a pivotal role in developing. ”We need to get the balance right though when it comes to demand for feedstocks and competitive land use issues,” Mrs Lines said. She said how Australia’s electricity network implements renewable energy development also needed careful planning and community consultation to ensure its interaction with food security was positive. ”Agriculture and energy can co-locate,” Mrs Lines said. ”We are seeing this already with wind and solar farms and grazing livestock.” She said regional communities and the agriculture industry were most at-risk when it came to the negative impacts of climate change. She said an accelerated adoption of renewable energy on-farm was needed to ensure the agricultural industry would reduce emissions and reach the net-zero target of 2050. With Australian agriculture contributing 18 per cent of Australia’s total carbon emissions, Mrs Lines said the industry was not being taken for granted to do all the heavy lifting. She said the Government wanted to work with the agricultural industry, not impose on it the need for decarbonisation.