Turnbull’s national energy guarantee could have 'no meaningful emission reduction’

The Turnbull government’s national energy guarantee will deliver no meaningful emissions reductions in its own right unless the proposed 2030 target for Australia’s electricity sector is made more ambitious, according to new research.

Malcolm Turnbull’s government is under pressure to
adopt a more ambitious national energy guarantee. 

Data on renewables compiled by Green Energy Markets and funded by the progressive activist group GetUp indicates the capacity of renewable projects now under construction already exceeds what is required to achieve the 2030 Neg target of a 26% cut on 2005 levels by 2030.

The report draws on economic modelling undertaken for the Energy Security Board to note that an additional 9,271 megawatts of wind and solar will be required in the national electricity market to deliver the Neg emissions reduction target.

Read Katherine Murphy’s story from The Guardian - “Turnbull’s national energy guarantee could have 'no meaningful emission reduction’,”

Frydenberg says government will further reduce emissions to meet Paris target

The energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, says he expects the states to sign on to the national energy guarantee, despite the current pushback, and that the government will pursue further emissions reductions in other parts of the economy as part of meeting the Paris target.

Josh Frydenberg says government is acting on advice of
chief scientist Alan Finkel on emissions reduction. 

In an interview with Guardian Australia’s Australian Politics Live podcast, Frydenberg said he expected state governments would act in the national interest when they meet in November and consider the national energy guarantee proposal on its merits.

“We are not expecting them to say no,” he said.

Read Katharine Murphy’s story on The Guardian - “Frydenberg says government will further reduce emissions to meet Paris target.”

(When the states gather in November to consider the National Energy Guarantee they should say “no”, adding that they want something better, yes, much better; something that see fossil fuels remain in the ground and a nation-backed effort the sees Australia embrace renewable energy, and put the land-down-under back among the countries that are going to have zero carbon emissions within a decade.

What’s being proposed by Josh Frydenberg is blackmail aimed at having the states endorse a policy that is simply wrong - Robert McLean)

Australia 'works' the greenhouse gas figures to suit itself

A

ustralia is dramatically overstating its greenhouse gas forecasts and has done so for years, a new study has found, allowing promised climate targets to be met while the country does very little to actually reduce its emissions.

And it warned this continued over-statement was inflating the starting point for the government’s imminent and closely scrutinised pledge on Australia’s greenhouse reductions after 2020 and is likely to attract international attention.

The constant lowering of the estimated greenhouse emission reductions needed to meet Australia’s targets explained why the country was attacked as an international “free rider” by the former UN secretary general Kofi Annan and other international observers, and why at the same time it could claim to be meeting agreed reduction goals, the report’s authors said.

Read the full story on the Guardian - “Australia overstating greenhouse gas forecasts, making climate targets easier”