Positioning Northern Australia as a global leader in climate change mitigation & adaptation

Stuart BlanchDirectorEnvironment Centre NT

Kimberley

Across the c.250 M ha of Northern Australia, protect and sustainably manage the world’s largest intact area of tropical savannas, seas & rivers through1.Effectively managed, connected Protected Areas conserving half the savannas (60Mha)2.Large network of marine sanctuaries across the Arafura & Timor Seas, Gulf of Carpentaria3. Maintaining hydrological connectivity along 1 million km of undammed rivers & creeks4. Slowing & reversing the mammal extinction crisis5. Storing tens of gigatons of carbon by managing fire, grazing, ferals, clearing6. Enhancing landscape connectivity & climate resilience along 4,000km long corridor7. Create Indigenous futures eg, Caring for Country, tourism, fee-for-service contracts8. Supporting sustainable grazing through stewardship payments, stronger laws9. Providing resource security for sustainability-focussed companies eg, mines, LNG10. Reducing land-based pollution of coral reefs & fisheries in Arafura & Timor Seas11. Building a globally significant initiative as per Canadian Boreal, Yellowstone to Yukon.

4000 km

Top End CapeYork

Gulf Country

Timor SeaArafura Sea

Gulf ofCarpentaria

Kimberley to CapeConservation • Indigenous Futures • Climate Change • Sustainable Industry

Broome

Darwin

Cairns

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Australia-Asia Electricity Link

World Solar Insolation Map

Source: AltEstore.com

NorNed – precedent for an Australia-Asia grid link?

• Connects Norwegian and Dutch electricity grids• World’s longest HVDC subsea cable at 580km• Maximum depth 410 metres• 700 MW and +/- 450 kV• 14 years from idea to trading (1994-2008).• Cost 600M euros• Using the bipolar cable, Norway sells renewable energy from hydropower to the Netherlands, which burns gas & coal, and vice versa, depending on the time of day…risks.