CANBERRA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - An Australian government report on Friday proposed a new 30 percent energy efficiency target, to be underpined by a price on carbon, to help the country curb greenhouse gas emissions and fight global warming.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has set up a new cross-party committee to look at how to best price carbon pollution to ensure Australia reaches its target to curb greenhouse gases by at least 5 percent of year 2000 levels by 2020.
But her task force on energy efficiency has now proposed the new aspirational efficiency target to promote a national culture of energy efficiency, which it said would help people save on their fuel and electricity bills.
"Well-targeted improvements in our energy efficiency will improve the productivity of the economy as well as helping us to shift towards a low pollution future," Gillard said after releasing the report.
She said the government had already committed to a number of recommendations, such as mandatory emissions standards for light vehicles and tax breaks for green buildings.
The report also urges the government to ensure that by 2050, cars will be 50 percent more fuel efficient than 2005 levels, and to make sure electricity generators are forced to identify efficiency improvements.
Environment and clean energy groups welcomed the report as an important step towards curbing carbon emissions.
Australia is one of the developed world&${esc.hash}39;s highest per-capita emitters of greenhouse gases, blamed for global warming, due to a reliance on burning coal for about 80 percent of the nation&${esc.hash}39;s electricity.
Australia already has a target to produce 20 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2020.
(Reporting by James Grubel; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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