In the 2020-21 State Budget, the Victorian Government committed to developing a Gas Substitution Roadmap with the aim to aid the achievement of the interim emissions reduction targets of 28 to 33 per cent by 2025, 45 to 50 per cent by 2030, and navigate the path to net-zero emissions by 2050. The consultation paper proposes a range of methods to achieve this, including: improving energy efficiency of buildings, appliances, and equipment; reducing fugitive emissions that arise from gas production and transportation; switching from gas to renewable electricity sources; and adopting low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen and biogas. The roadmap was released in July 2022.
Energy Transition & Zero Carbon Technologies
Active
Energy Transition & Zero Carbon Technologies
Active
On 9 September, the Victorian government announced it had weakened its plans to phase out gas in new buildings by allowing a continuation of gas for cooking. Australian fossil groups praised the decision while advocating for the planned ban on gas heating to also be reversed. In a 10 September Herald Sun article, a representative from the Australian Energy Producers said the proposal to not extend this principle of choice to gas heating and hot water appliances was “illogical”. In a 9 September press release, the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association CEO, Steve Davies, also opposed the exclusion of gas heating, stressing the need to protect consumer choice.
Following news that the Victorian government blocked plans to assemble wind turbines due to environmental concerns, the CEO of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association, Steve Davis, wrote an op-ed for the AFR on January 9th in which he criticized Victoria’s approach to phasing out fossil gas, adding that the fuel’s exemption from the Capacity Investment Scheme is a “triumph of populism over pragmatism”. Meanwhile, a Woodside spokesperson confirmed in a January 12th article in Upstream that the company also advocated for fossil gas to be included in the scheme within its submission to the Future Gas Strategy.
Following the release of Victoria’s Gas Substitution Roadmap, which includes support for a switch from gas to electric and a ban on new gas connections, Australian fossil fuel associations appeared unsupportive. Australian Energy Producers (previously the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association) CEO Samantha McCulloch stated in a December 14th press release that the state is “ignoring the need for new local gas supply”. Meanwhile, the CEO of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association appeared unsupportive in a press release also released on December 14th, stating that the policy removes choice from consumers.
In a July 28th LinkedIn post, the Business Council of Australia appeared to oppose the decision taken by policymakers in Victoria to phase out gas connections in new houses from January 2024, claiming that it puts Australia’s 2050 net-zero target at risk, as natural gas ‘will have a critical role to play’.
The table below lists the entities found to be most engaged with the policy. InfluenceMap tracks over 400 companies and 200 industry associations globally. Each entity name links to its full InfluenceMap profile, where the evidence of its engagement can be found.
| Influencemap Performance Band | Organization | Policy Position | Policy Engagement Intensity |
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