Re-tooling for Climate Change will offer small and medium sized manufacturers grants ranging from $10,000 to $500,000 to help them reduce the environmental impact of their production processes.
"This program is part of the Rudd Government's commitment to work in partnership with industry to reduce Australia's carbon footprint," Senator Carr said.
"Re-tooling will have a dual benefit of tackling climate change and putting manufacturing businesses on a more sustainable footing.
"It is about better outcomes for the environment and greater efficiencies for our manufacturers, who must be part of our low-carbon future.
"Australian manufacturers are already responding to climate change by reducing their energy consumption while continuing to increase production and exports. This program will accelerate these efforts," Senator Carr said.
Grants will meet up to one-third of the costs of projects to improve energy or water efficiency of their production processes.
Support will be provided for initiatives such as:
- small-scale cogeneration plants that capture waste energy and use it to produce electricity on site;
- stormwater capture and improved water recycling, for use in the production process;
- improving insulation and recovering waste heat to improve manufacturing process efficiency; and
- process re-engineering involving the adoption of energy efficient manufacturing tools.
"Over the past week, seminars have been held in capital cities to introduce the program, and I am advised that they have received a very strong response with over 300 people attending," Senator Carr said.
Re-tooling for Climate Change is part of the Government's $240 million Clean Business Australia initiative designed establish a partnership with business and industry to deliver energy and water efficient projects with a focus on productivity and innovation.
Clean Business Australia has two other elements:
Climate Ready program ($75 million over four years) which supports the development and commercialisation of technologies and services that provide solutions for climate change; and Green Building Fund ($90 million over four years) which will help buildingowners to improve the energy efficiency of existing commercial office buildings and reduce carbon emissions.
For information about applying for the Re-tooling for Climate Change program, visit AusIndustry’s website at www.ausindustry.gov.au or call or email the hotline (13 28 46 / hotline@ausindustry.gov.au ).
