International. From the first of January 2020, Canberra, capital of Australia, will be the first non-European city to feed 100% clean energy and leave behind the use of fossil fuels.
According to a report by the Australia Institute in Canberra, this region would become the seventh in the world to achieve this important milestone. The first to do so was the district of Rhein-Hunsrück in Germany in 2012. This was followed by two other German states, three states in Austria and one region in Spain.
Canberra has a population close to 400,000. Its energy matrix already has a high percentage of solar and wind energy. In addition to reaching the goal of 100% renewable electricity, the local government also recently announced that among its plans is to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
Richie Merzian, director of climate and energy at the Australia Institute told the journal Nature that "you need that leadership and commitment that usually goes beyond partisan politics of three or four years."
The Australian government, a signatory to the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, announced in 2018 that its plan aims to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
One of the biggest concerns for Australians is the impact climate change is having on their Great Barrier Reef. High ocean temperatures are causing unprecedented coral bleaching and death. This is one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet.
Source: El Espectador.
