**Check against delivery
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for the opportunity to address this forum.
The 21st century may only be one decade old, yet it's not too early to suggest it may come to be defined by the twin challenges of delivering both clean and secure energy supplies.
The IEA tells us there are presently 1.6 billion people in the World who have no access to electricity.
Clearly, access to affordable, reliable, adequate sources of energy is needed to fuel economic growth, alleviate poverty, and deliver the economic and social development we all seek.
The challenge of meeting global energy demand - in a sustainable way - is daunting.
In Australia, we have a growing population, rising energy demand, and consumers who want cleaner energy.
Determining how we maintain our energy security, economic prosperity and a move over time to a cleaner energy mix is a challenge occupying a great deal of the Australian Government's thinking at present.
The Australian Government is investing $4.5 billion in clean energy.
We are giving new energy technologies the opportunity to compete in the market place.
Solar, wind, geothermal and biomass technologies are moving to the next stage of development.
We have also mandated that 20 per cent of our electricity must come from renewable sources by 2020, which is driving further investment.
Importantly, we also recognise that fossil fuels will continue to be vitally important in the decades ahead.
Rather than trying to reduce the use of coal and gas - we are focussed upon developing technologies to reduce emissions from these fuels.
This includes a focus on carbon capture and storage and carbon capture and use.
Technology has the potential to significantly reduce emissions from fossil fuels - and further technological advancement can also see these emissions utilised and commercialised.
We do not subscribe to the view that clean energy has to compromise legitimate aspirations for economic and social prosperity.
Economic development and wealth creation are essential to drive the investment we need in technological solutions.
There has been much said in recent months relating to the challenge of climate change and the responses available to us.
However, it is important we do not lose sight of the importance of developing and deploying industrial technologies to improve the quality of our water and air, which improve the efficiency of our energy use and our public health, as they are necessary to deliver the sustainable development we seek.
Technology can improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact through every sector of our economies.
Experience shows that it requires action by government to create the right policy frameworks and incentives to drive the investment in technology we need.
It also requires partnerships with business and the research community.
And it requires we recognise that solutions do not lie in one single technology or set of technologies.
Delivering the growth we desire; growth which is economically and environmentally sustainable will require a broad suite of new technologies.