Government 'falling behind' industry views on climate change

Representatives from around 200 countries, including Australia, are meeting in Madrid this week to discuss climate targets and how they'll meet their commitments under the Paris agreement.

Ahead of the talks, the Australian Climate Roundtable group issued a statement, urging Australia to adopt policies that put it on a stable path to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

The climate roundtable brings together an unusual alliance of industry representatives, unions, farmers and environmental NGOs.

Listen to the interview from Radio National by Hamish Macdonald - “Government 'falling behind' industry views on climate change.

New report shows the world is awash with fossil fuels. It’s time to cut off supply

A new United Nations report shows the world’s major fossil fuel producing countries, including Australia, plan to dig up far more coal, oil and gas than can be burned if the world is to prevent serious harm from climate change.

Australia’s coal production
is expected to jump by 34%
 to 2030, undercutting our
climate efforts.

The report found fossil fuel production in 2030 is on track to be 50% more than is consistent with the 2℃ warming limit agreed under the Paris climate agreement. Production is set to be 120% more than is consistent with holding warming to 1.5℃ – the ambitious end of the Paris goals. 

Australia is strongly implicated in these findings. In the same decade we are supposed to be cutting emissions under the Paris goals, our coal production is set to increase by 34%. This trend is undercutting our success in renewables deployment and mitigation elsewhere.

Read the story from The Conversation by an Associate Professor from the School of Geography at the University of Melbourne, Peter Christoff -  "New report shows the world is awash with fossil fuels. It’s time to cut off supply.”