Minister for Climate Change and Energy

Last updated

Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Chris Bowen 2022.jpg
Incumbent
Chris Bowen
since 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Style The Honourable
Appointer Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder Rex Connor (as Minister for Minerals and Energy)
Formation19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)
Website minister.dcceew.gov.au/Bowen

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy is a portfolio in the Government of Australia. The current Minister is Chris Bowen. [1] The minister administers his or her portfolios through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (established on 1 July 2022. [2] ).

Contents

The portfolio is a federal ministerial portfolio responsible for the coordination and implementation of sustainable energy policies by the Australian Government. These policy areas include the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, the promotion of energy efficiency, as well as adaptations to climate change within domestic and international contexts. The post was first held by Rex Connor in 1972 as Minister for Minerals and Energy.

History

The precursor to the department was led by Secretary Blair Comley who reported to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet. The Minister was assisted by the Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Mark Dreyfus. The Clean Energy Regulator was an associated statutory authority formed on 2 April 2012.

On 25 March 2013, the responsibility for Climate Change policy passed to the newly formed Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, and the duties of the Ministry of Energy passed to the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism. Following the 2013 Australian federal election the responsibility for energy was shifted to the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science under the Abbott government.

After the 2016 Australian federal election, the responsibilities were passed to the Minister of the Environment and Energy under the Turnbull government. [3] Following the appointment of Scott Morrison as prime minister in August 2018, Josh Frydenberg was elevated to Treasurer of Australia, whereby Frydenberg's previous ministerial positions were separated, with Melissa Price as Minister of the Environment and Angus Taylor as Minister for Energy.

On 1 February 2020, An Administrative Arrangements Order (AAOs) was executed by the Australian Government. This order required small business and energy functions be passed to the renamed Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. [4]

Objectives

The department deals with: [5]

List of energy ministers

The following individuals have been appointed as energy minister, or any of its precedent titles: [6]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Rex Connor Labor Whitlam Minister for Minerals and Energy19 December 197214 October 19752 years, 299 days
2 Ken Wriedt 14 October 197511 November 197528 days
3 John Carrick  Liberal Fraser Minister for National Development and Energy8 December 197911 March 19833 years, 93 days
4 Peter Walsh Labor Hawke Minister for Resources and Energy11 March 198313 December 19841 year, 277 days
5 Gareth Evans 13 December 198424 July 19872 years, 223 days
6 John Kerin Minister for Primary Industries and Energy24 July 19874 June 19913 years, 315 days
7 Simon Crean 4 June 199120 December 19912 years, 202 days
Keating 20 December 199123 December 1993
8 Bob Collins 23 December 199311 March 19962 years, 79 days
9 John Anderson National Howard 11 March 199621 October 19982 years, 224 days
Warwick Parer   Liberal Minister for Resources and Energy
10 Martin Ferguson Labor Rudd Minister for Resources and Energy3 December 200724 June 20105 years, 89 days
Gillard 24 June 201022 March 2013
11 Gary Gray 22 March 201327 June 2013180 days
Rudd27 June 201318 September 2013
12 Josh Frydenberg Liberal Turnbull Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia21 September 201518 February 20162 years, 341 days
Minister for Resources and Energy18 February 201619 July 2016
Minister for the Environment and Energy19 July 201628 August 2018
13 Angus Taylor   Morrison Minister for Energy28 August 201829 May 20193 years, 268 days
 Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction29 May 20198 October 2021
  Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction8 October 202123 May 2022
14 Chris Bowen Labor Albanese Minister for Climate Change and Energy1 June 2022incumbent1 year, 61 days

List of ministers for climate change

The Minister for Climate Change is responsible for developing climate change (global warming) solutions, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting energy efficiency. The following individuals have been appointed to the post, or any of its precursor titles: [7] [8]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Penny Wong   Labor Rudd Minister for Climate Change and Water 3 December 20078 March 20102 years, 285 days
Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water 8 March 201024 June 2010
Gillard 24 June 201014 September 2010
2 Greg Combet Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency14 September 20101 July 20132 years, 289 days
3 Mark Butler RuddMinister for Climate Change1 July 201318 September 201379 days
4 Chris Bowen Labor Albanese Minister for Climate Change and Energy1 June 2022Incumbent1 year, 61 days

List of Assistant Ministers for Climate Change and Energy

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, or any of its precedent titles: [6]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Jenny McAllister Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy1 June 2022Incumbent1 year, 61 days

See also

Related Research Articles

The Australian Department of the Environment was a department of the Government of Australia that existed between September 2013 and July 2016. The department was charged with responsibility for developing and implementing national policy, programs and legislation to protect and conserve Australia's environment and heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister for Education (Australia)</span> Australian cabinet position

In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Education administers the Department of Education. The position is held by Labor MP Jason Clare, following the Australian federal election in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister for Communications (Australia)</span> Australian cabinet position

The Australian Minister for Communications has the overall responsibility for broadcasting, the information and communications technology industry, the information economy, and telecommunications within Australia. The portfolio is currently held by Michelle Rowland in the Albanese ministry since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme</span>

The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme was a cap-and-trade emissions trading scheme for anthropogenic greenhouse gases proposed by the Rudd government, as part of its climate change policy, which had been due to commence in Australia in 2010. It marked a major change in the energy policy of Australia. The policy began to be formulated in April 2007, when the federal Labor Party was in Opposition and the six Labor-controlled states commissioned an independent review on energy policy, the Garnaut Climate Change Review, which published a number of reports. After Labor won the 2007 federal election and formed government, it published a Green Paper on climate change for discussion and comment. The Federal Treasury then modelled some of the financial and economic impacts of the proposed CPRS scheme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister for the Environment and Water (Australia)</span> Australian cabinet position

The Australian Minister for the Environment and Water is a position which is currently held by Tanya Plibersek in the Albanese ministry since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Rudd ministry</span> 64th ministry of government of Australia

The first Rudd ministry (Labor) was the 64th ministry of the Government of Australia. It was led by the country's 26th Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. The first Rudd ministry succeeded the Fourth Howard Ministry, which dissolved on 3 December 2007 following the federal election that took place on 24 November which saw Labor defeat John Howard's Liberal–National Coalition. The ministry was replaced by the First Gillard Ministry on 24 June 2010 following the resignation of Rudd as Prime Minister after a successful leadership challenge by Julia Gillard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister for Resources</span> Australian cabinet position

The Minister for Resources is an Australian Government cabinet position which is currently held by Madeleine King following the swearing in of the full Albanese ministry on 1 June 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garnaut Climate Change Review</span>

Professor Ross Garnaut led two climate change reviews, the first commencing in 2007 and the second in 2010.

Greenhouse gas emissions by Australia totalled 533 million tonnes CO2-equivalent based on greenhouse gas national inventory report data for 2019; representing per capita CO2e emissions of 21 tons, three times the global average. Coal was responsible for 30% of emissions. The national Greenhouse Gas Inventory estimates for the year to March 2021 were 494.2 million tonnes, which is 27.8 million tonnes, or 5.3%, lower than the previous year. It is 20.8% lower than in 2005. According to the government, the result reflects the decrease in transport emissions due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, reduced fugitive emissions, and reductions in emissions from electricity; however, there were increased greenhouse gas emissions from the land and agriculture sectors.

The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. A number of governments across the world took a variety of actions.

The Department of Climate Change was an Australian Government department that existed between 2007 and 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clean Energy Act 2011</span>

The Clean Energy Act 2011 was an Act of the Australian Parliament, the main Act in a package of legislation that established an Australian emissions trading scheme (ETS), to be preceded by a three-year period of fixed carbon pricing in Australia designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions as part of efforts to combat global warming.

A carbon pricing scheme in Australia was introduced by the Gillard Labor minority government in 2011 as the Clean Energy Act 2011 which came into effect on 1 July 2012. Emissions from companies subject to the scheme dropped 7% upon its introduction. As a result of being in place for such a short time, and because the then Opposition leader Tony Abbott indicated he intended to repeal "the carbon tax", regulated organizations responded rather weakly, with very few investments in emissions reductions being made. The scheme was repealed on 17 July 2014, backdated to 1 July 2014. In its place the Abbott government set up the Emission Reduction Fund in December 2014. Emissions thereafter resumed their growth evident before the tax.

The Department of the Environment and Energy (DEE) was an Australian government department in existence between 2016 and 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister for Climate Change (New Zealand)</span> New Zealand minister of the Crown

The Minister of Climate Change is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for climate change policy. The position was formally established in 2005 as Minister responsible for Climate Change Issues, but was preceded by the informal role of Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change, which was held by the Minister of Energy Pete Hodgson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation in Scotland</span>

This article gives an overview of the structure of environmental and cultural conservation in Scotland, a constituent country of the United Kingdom.

The history of climate change policy and politics refers to the continuing history of political actions, policies, trends, controversies and activist efforts as they pertain to the issue of global warming and other environmental anomalies. Dryzek, Norgaard, and Schlosberg suggest that critical reflection on the history of climate policy is necessary because it provides 'ways to think about one of the most difficult issues we human beings have brought upon ourselves in our short life on the planet’.

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) is an Australian government department operating from 1 July 2022. Formerly known as the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER), the Climate Change and Energy responsibilities were transferred to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. DISR also takes functions that were previously under the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

References

  1. "Press Conference - Parliament House, Canberra". Prime Minister of Australia . 23 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  2. "Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water". Directory. Australian Government. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  3. "Ministers".
  4. "Administrative Arrangements Order made on 5 December 2019 with effect from 1 February 2020". Prime Minister and Cabinet. 1 February 2020.
  5. "Administrative Arrangements Order" (PDF). Government of Australia. 25 January 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  6. 1 2 "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  7. "Kevin Rudd announces new Cabinet ... in great detail". News Limited. 29 November 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  8. "Second Rudd Ministry" (PDF). Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2013.[ permanent dead link ]