Face of Nation : The minister responsible for reducing Australia’s emissions has lauded the nation’s “strong targets” after a United Nations report called for existing efforts to be tripled. Australia’s goal is to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030, a target set in the Paris agreement at UN talks four years ago.
The World Meteorological Organisation report says over the past few years, rising sea levels, ice loss and extreme weather have accelerated.
“They are much stronger than many other countries and we deliver,” he told reporters in Canberra on Monday. “We’ve delivered on our 2020 targets, we’ve delivered 367 million tonnes ahead on those 2020 targets and we’ve laid out to the last tonne how we will achieve our 2030 targets.”Australia’s own target – five per cent below 2000 levels by 2020.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne is attending the climate talks in New York in place of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who will be in Chicago. Mr Guterres wants leaders to bring plans to do more. “That is kind of a ticket,” he said. “For bad news, don’t come.” Labor’s energy spokesman Mark Butler says a national policy for the sector will help reduce emissions. “A key driver of the energy crisis is a lack of national policy to support new investment in electricity generation,” he said.
