(AU) Snub': Australia Leaves 2030 Climate Goals Unchanged In UN Submission

Sydney Morning Herald - Peter Hannam

Australia has resubmitted its Paris climate goal and modified its target as "a floor" that can be met without using credits from the previous accord, but has omitted any indication it will join other nations in raising its ambition.

In its first update in five years to the so-called nationally determined contribution (NDC), the federal government defended its unchanged plan to cut 2005-level emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2030 as an "ambitious, fair and responsible" effort to keep global average temperature rises to below two degrees.

Australia has formally updated its Paris commitments, leaving the option open to more ambitious emissions cuts in the future. Credit: AP

"The target is a floor on Australia’s ambition," the statement, released to the United Nations without any media release, said. "We are aiming to over-achieve on this target and newly released emissions projections show Australia is on track to meet and beat our 2030 target without relying on past over-achievement."

Australia was one of dozens of countries to submit updated NDCs late in 2020. Most of the country's biggest trading partners have set targets for reaching net-zero, and some of them - including the United Kingdom, the European Union and South Korea - have also lately lifted their previous 2030 goals.

Climate groups welcomed the government's recognition that Australia likely won't need to resort to tapping any "carbon credits" generated from the 2012-2020 Kyoto Protocol to meet its Paris target, but said its failure to lift its ambition was disappointing.

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"Australia's re-submission without improvement is a snub and de facto a denial of the urgent need for more action on climate," Bill Hare, director of Climate Analytics, said, noting that all nations were requested to have increased their Paris commitment by the end of 2020 because pledges made in 2015 fell well short of what was needed to prevent dangerous climate change.

Professor Hare said Australia's updated submission also doesn't definitively rule out the use of Kyoto credits in future.

"The Morrison government is having two bob each way and is leaving the door open, he said. "To be real on this Australia should join other countries in ensuring the [still unfinished] Paris rule book does not permit carryover."

Angus Taylor, the Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister, said Australia's emissions trajectory had improved significantly in the past two years alone, with projected pollution out to 2030 coming in some 639 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent.

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"This improvement is largely due to the Morrison government committing $5.3 billion to new emissions reduction measures through the last two budgets," he said.

"We are confident that we will meet and beat our 2030 target without relying on over-achievement from our Kyoto-era targets," he said. "But make no mistake, those credits were hard-earned by Australians."

Greens leader, Adam Bandt, though, said in not lifting Australia's 2030 target, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was "giving up the fight against global warming", since existing goals were far from what was needed.

The PM "brags about meeting his 2030 targets, but that’s like boasting he will drive the country over a cliff at 200km/hour instead of 250km/hour," Mr Bandt said.

Frank Jotzo, director of the Centre for Climate and Energy Policy at the Australian National University, said the absence of a higher NDC target was "pretty much as expected" but still left Australia exposed as a laggard as other nations develop plans to decarbonise their economies by 2050.

"It's now clear the existing 2030 target is easy to meet, and it's likely a significantly stronger goal could be met," Professor Jotzo said. "If the federal government isn't willing to engage fully on this, it may be in the interest of states to push ahead with a proper, long-term lower emissions strategy [of their own]."

Tom Arup, a spokesman for the Investor Group on Climate Change, said major economies, including the UK, EU, the United States and Japan were moving towards explicit new and more ambitious 2030 targets and Australia "remains at risk of being internationally isolated on climate change". 

Links

• Australia: Nationally Determined Contribution
• (AU) National emissions likely began to rebound in September quarter
• Australia will beat 2030 emissions targets if the tech road map works
• Lower cost of renewable energy, gas drives down household bills
• (AU) World Awaits Action By 'Suicidal' Australia, Says Former Climate Chief
• (AU) Scott Morrison's Climate Language Has Shifted – But Actions Speak Louder Than Words
• (AU) Australia Needs A Climate Policy Turnaround - Not A Pathetic Crab Walk
• (AU) Albanese Is Running Out Of Time To Solve Labor’s Climate Crisis. He Needs A Plan That Works For Two Australias
• The Australian Government Is Surrounded By Leaders Taking Climate Action. Will It Step Up?