23 November 2023

Recent research published by ASBEC confirms that 100% electrification is the lowest cost, fastest emissions reduction pathway for Australia’s built environment.

Given the need for urgent action on climate change, ASBEC strongly supports the phase out of fossil gas and the rapid scale up of electrification of Australia’s residential and commercial buildings. We also note that this transition to a decarbonised built environment needs to be delivered in a just and equitable way.

Noting that the first two strategic priorities of the Future Gas Strategy are to support the decarbonisation of the Australian economy and to promote Australia’s energy security and affordability, and the recognition in the consultation paper that reducing domestic gas demand faster than supply will go a long way to meeting these objectives, ASBEC recommends the Department for Industry, Science and Resources consider the following priorities as part of its Future Gas Strategy delivery:

• Ensure alignment with sectoral pathways to be developed as part of the 2050 Net Zero Plan and 2035 emission reduction targets, as well as the National Energy Performance Strategy.
• Introduce a national plan with ambitious but achievable timeframes to phase out fossil gas in existing buildings and appliances.
• Provide national certainty that all new residential and commercial buildings will be fully electrified and operate on high-quality electric equipment by 2025 (e.g. via the Built Environment Sectoral Plan, Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings, the National Construction Code and other jurisdictional specific planning policy mechanisms).
• Ensure any regulatory mechanism introduced to manage a national electrification program considers a “least cost” approach and prioritises energy efficiency as a first step in the electrification process.
• Urgently grow skills and market readiness for electrification.
• Demonstrate strong leadership in Australian Government commitments to transition away from fossil gas use.

Read more here.