2021-01-28
The Greens have welcomed a new independent report on Australia’s 2030 targets, which shows Australia’s 2030 targets must be at least doubled to 50% to meet the Paris climate agreement and avoid catastrophe. The report also shows the cost of the Coalition’s inaction on emissions, burning through nearly half of Australia’s Paris Agreement ‘2 degrees’ carbon budget in just eight years.
The report is based on the government’s Climate Change Authority methodology, and gives the clearest picture of what Australia’s targets must be to do our fair share of emissions reductions to keep temperature rises under 1.5 degrees (74% below 2005 by 2030) and 2 degrees (50% below 2005 by 2030), the goals set by the Paris climate accords.The Report also shows that ‘net-zero by 2050’ alone is not enough to stay below two degrees, as Australia must reach net-zero by 2045.
Global warming must be limited to well below 2 degrees to have the best chance of avoiding passing tipping points, after which global warming becomes an unstoppable chain reaction.
“The Liberals are blowing Australia’s carbon budget and putting our country at risk of catastrophic climate damage,” Greens Leader Adam Bandt said.
“If Liberal and Labor don’t commit to at least 50% emissions reduction by 2030, they are walking away from the Paris Agreement.
“The Greens want to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and our targets of 75% emissions reduction by 2030 are backed by this report.
“Any party with less than a 50% by 2030 target is giving up on climate action altogether.”
ON MARK BUTLER'S REMOVAL FROM THE CLIMATE PORTFOLIO:
“Labor is giving up on climate action,” Bandt said.
“Joel Fitzgibbon and the coal lobby have won.”
“It looks like the factions and the coal lobby have Anthony Albanese in a death grip.”
“If the new Shadow Minister for Climate is to have any credibility, their first act should be to adopt the 2030 targets set out by the independent Climate Targets Panel.
ON JOE BIDEN'S CLIMATE LEADER'S SUMMIT:
“Joe Biden is serious about climate change and he knows that this is the crucial decade,” Bandt said.
“Joe Biden has put 2030 targets at the top of the agenda and Australia’s pathetic mid-term targets expose us to international isolation.”
“Scott Morrison and Labor are now under massive pressure to lift Australia’s 2030 targets before Biden’s Climate Leaders Summit in April.”