Australia failing world community with weak carbon emissions targets

A

Lord Deben - Australia
promising much less.

ustralia is failing the world community in its efforts to abate carbon dioxide emissions.

This rather poor effort by a country that is among the world’s worst per capita carbon dioxide emitters has not gone unnoticed by others in the world, including the Chair of the UK's independent committee on climate change, Lord Deben.

He says Australia is promising much less than most other western countries with its emissions reduction target.

Watch this intriguing interview with Lord Deben on the ABC’s The Drum -“Climate change isn't going to wait for Australia”.

Abbott Government's emission target is 'pathetic' - Lord Deben

A

Lord Deben - Australia's
emissions target 'pathetic'.

ustralia’s “pathetic” 2030 emissions reduction target shows the country has opted out of the global effort to limit warming, according to the head of the British government’s climate change advisory body.

Lord Deben, previously a minister in the government of Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, said Australia’s 26% to 28% reduction in emissions by 2030, based on 2005 levels was “simply not enough”.

Tony Abbott defends 2030 emissions target criticised as 'pathetically' low

 “Australia is fundamentally out of step and this decision puts Australia among the ‘don’t cares’ of the international community,” said Deben, who is the chairman of the Committee on Climate Change.

“Global warming won’t wait for Mr Abbott and his government. Mr Abbott’s hubris is staggering.”

Read the Guardian story - “'Tony Abbott’s hubris is staggering': UK's climate adviser one missions target”.

Lord Deben calls it like it is and ruffles a few Australian feathers

Lord Deben critical of Tony Abbott.

Lord Deben might be many things, but he is most certainly not a fool and has made a call that the Australian Government can only respond to with emotive and personal attacks.

The British Lord, and leading Tory politician, has accused Australia’s Prime Minister, Tony Abbott of “recklessly endangering” the future of the world.

The ABC reports on this accusation in a story headed: “Carbon tax repeal: UK politician Lord Deben attacks Tony Abbott's 'reckless' plan toscrap carbon tax”.

Lord Debden is Britain’s longest serving environmental minister, a former head of the Conservative Party who served under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and is now the head of the UK Committee on Climate Change.