Northern Territory Government

The Northern Territory Government is extremely proud to be an official Panda Partner sponsor and participant of Earth Hour 2010.

The Territory is a great place to live, work and raise a family, and it is essential we continue the fight against climate change to keep it that way.

The Territory Government has recently released a $34 million Northern Territory Climate Change Policy - a comprehensive action plan to combat one of the biggest challenges of our time.

The Government has committed to becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2018. We will also implement a Government Green Office Building Policy, which will set minimum, targeted energy efficiency building standards for leased government buildings, and reduce energy intensity in Territory Government buildings by a third by 2020 (from a 2004 baseline).

During Earth Hour the Territory Government will be leading by example and turning off all non-essential lighting and electrical appliances in Government buildings across the Northern Territory. Parliament House, an iconic Territory landmark, will also go dark for Earth Hour.

The Government will also be encouraging all Territorians to support Earth Hour and to extend their commitment by looking at their homes, workplaces, and lifestyles to identify ways to minimise energy usage in the long term.

A range of Government initiatives are available to assist Territorians to become more energy efficient at home including Energy Smart Rebate NT, which provides households with a rebate of up to $200 after purchasing selected energy saving devices. Assistance is also available for Territory businesses through ecoBiz NT, a free advice and grants program helping Territory businesses implement eco-efficiency improvements.

By switching off the lights for just one hour last year for Earth Hour, the major centres of Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs achieved an overall reduction in CO2-equivalent emissions of 4.52 tonnes. This equates to taking almost one and half cars off the road for an entire year.

During Earth Hour 2010 we will be encouraging Territorians to achieve an even higher reduction in emissions and to think about ways they can reduce their impact on the planet.

More information is available from the Greening NT web portal

Karl Hampton
Minister for Climate Change
Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage