‘Overheating our planet': Andrews government urged to set emissions target for critical decade

Almost 300 Victorian businesses and organisations – including one of Australia’s largest property developers, Mirvac – are urging the Andrews government to set an emissions target for the next crucial decade in step with the global push to keep warming to less than 1.5 degrees.

Bushfires in east Gippsland.

In an open letter, published in The Age today and organised by Environment Victoria, the coalition call on the state government to take heed of the unprecedented bushfires and the warming climate.

Read the story from The Age by Miki Perkins - “‘Overheating our planet': Andrews government urged to set emissions target for critical decade.”

How fracking could threaten Australia's Paris target

The Morrison Government claims Australia will meet its emissions targets "in a canter".

It points to Australia's status as the world's largest LNG exporter to show how the nation's carbon footprint is getting smaller.

But Background Briefing has seen bombshell emails by government advisors that reveal a very different picture.

Jane Bardon investigates the true extent of Australia's fracking emissions.

Listen to the story on Radio National Sunday Extra - “How fracking could threaten Australia's Paris target.”

Fixing the gap between Labor’s greenhouse gas goals and their policies

As the federal election approaches, Labor has two principal climate and energy targets: a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the 2005 level by 2030, and for half of Australia’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030 (up from its current share of 19%).

Labor leader Bill Shorten.

The renewable electricity target is easily achievable with inexpensive extensions to Labor’s existing policies, but that policy would still leave Labor far short of its emissions target.

Because electricity contributes only 34% of Australia’s total emissions, more substantial policies are needed to reduce emissions from both electricity and the rest of the energy sector to achieve Labor’s greenhouse target.

Read the story from The Conversation by an Honorary Associate Professor from the University of New South Wales, Mark Diesendorf - “Fixing the gap between Labor’s greenhouse gas goals and their policies.”

Emissions cuts ‘off track’

CANBERRA: Australia is well off-track to meet its 2030 emissions target, new figures show.

The latest emissions projections released yesterday by the environment department show Australia is projected to emit 563 megatonnes of climate pollution in 2030.

The lowest point of ambition for Australia’s Paris agreement target — 26 per cent below 2005 levels — is equivalent to 442 Mt in 2030.

While electricity-sector emissions are expected to ease by 34 Mt during the period, the report projected increases in the areas of direct combustion, transport, fugitive emissions, industrial processes and agriculture.

‘‘Prime Minister Scott Morrison has repeatedly said Australia will meet its Paris agreement targets in a canter, but the government’s own emissions projections tell a very different story,’’ Australian Conservation Foundation’s Matt Rose said.

Electricity makes up 34 per cent of Australia’s emissions, meaning almost two-thirds comes from other sources.

Environment Minister Melissa Price said the figures showed Australia would beat its 2020 emissions target.

‘‘We have also made significant progress to our 2030 target,’’ she said.

‘‘Since 2008 we have seen a three billion tonne turnaround in the abatement task to achieve our 2030 target and we have seen a 173 Mt, 20 per cent, reduction on last year’s projections.’’

Story from The Shepparton News - “Emissions cuts ‘off track’.”

We're in the race, but at the back of the pack

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ustralia’s new emissions target is not “squarely in the middle of comparable economies" as the PM claimed. Towards the bottom of the pack of comparable countries, on key indicators. But Australia is coming to the party, and that counts for a lot.

It means the target is not obstructing international progress. And it will put the spotlight back on the opportunities for a lower carbon economy, and the policy instruments to get there.

Australia’s emissions target is a 26-28% reduction at 2030 in national emissions compared to 2005 levels. It can be viewed through different prisms and compared across different metrics.

The story on The Conversation - “Australia’s 2030 climate target puts us in the race, but at the back”.