Paris climate deal doesn't stop us building new coal plants, Canavan says

Australia does not need to quit the Paris climate agreement because our commitments are non-binding, and new coal plants can continue to be constructed, according to the resources minister, Matt Canavan.

 Resources minister Matt Canavan says Australia’s
commitment to the Paris climate deal is non-binding. 

Canavan told Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones on Friday he had never been to Paris, and was “happy to leave the Champs-Élysées for others”, but people needed to be clear the treaty Tony Abbott committed Australia to in 2015 “doesn’t actually bind us to anything in particular”.

Abbott said in 2015, when he announced Australia would be signing up, that the government was making a “definite commitment” to a 26% reduction in emissions by 2030 and “with the circumstances that we think will apply ... we can go up to 28%”.

Read the story from The Guardian by Katharine Murphy -“Paris climate deal doesn't stop us building new coal plants, Canavan says.”

(The idea of resources minister, Matt Canavan, that Australia is not bound by the Paris climate agreement and so it can build new coal-powered energy plants its irresponsible, socially malignant and demonstrates little concern for the welfare of Australians and people of the world. Even if all the Paris promises made in December 2015 are fulfilled, the world is still heading for temperature increases of well over two degrees and maybe even three. Australians are, on a per capita basis, among the world’s largest, if not the largest emitters of carbon dioxide. Mr Caravan should be removed from his influential position just as quickly as we can - Robert McLean)