Key themes of Australia`s climate ambitions since the Paris negotiations in 2015 include increased private sector momentum coupled with international pressure, renewed australian public support for climate action, and contrasts with government ambitions at the federal (low) and state (higher) levels. An analysis by ClimateWorks Australia last year found that falling technology costs suggested the country could reach net-zero emissions by 2035 if governments focused stimulus spending on climate solutions. The carbon budget approach is to estimate the total amount that Australia could reasonably emit before reaching net zero under a global climate agreement in which each country has played its part. Here in the Pacific, Australia has sensationally violated a third promise of the Paris Agreement: to channel our climate finance through a single global mechanism into the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to make it easier for those at the forefront of this climate crisis. After following the Trump administration out of the door of the GCF, we still have to come back with our tails between our legs, which means that we are effectively isolated among the major donor countries. Australia already has several existing institutions or frameworks that it could make the most of to improve its climate ambitions. Fricko, O., Parkinson, S.C., Johnson, N., Strubegger, M., Vliet, M. T. van, & Riahi, K.
(2016). Impact of a 2°C climate policy on water consumption in the energy sector In August 2020, a forum of the economic, agricultural, investment, trade union, social protection and environmental sectors issued an extraordinary statement calling on the government to adopt a net-zero emissions target by 2050. A recent June 2020 survey found that 70% of Australians expect the government to protect the environment as part of economic recovery efforts. Another poll found that 72% of Australians see the bushfires from November 2019 to January 2020 as a wake-up call about the effects of climate change, with 73% agreeing that the prime minister should be a leader on climate action. A federal commitment to zero emissions and a coherent Paris Agreement target for 2030, as well as a renewable energy target beyond 2020, are needed to ensure a coherent federal framework for a rapid transition to a carbon-free future. In contrast, Australia will stick to its current commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2030. This is in line with the Paris climate agreement, although Morrison said Australia was on track to achieve net-zero emissions. “Anything below 50 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels abandons the Paris Agreement,” Hewson said.
He said decisions about climate goals are driven by political expediency, not science. This included promoting a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, which the Morrison government has so far opposed despite demands from international leaders, the scientific community, major business groups, the opposition and state governments. Scrutiny from investors and the public is shifting towards expecting short- and medium-term commitments in addition to the mid-century net zero long-term targets. A significant portion of Australia`s private capital is now shaped by climate goals. “Scientists are telling us that this is the crucial decade — this is the decade in which we must make decisions that avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis,” President Biden said in the summit`s opening remarks. At a global climate summit, Morrison said Australia was on track to achieve net-zero emissions. A parliamentary inquiry into climate legislation proposed by independent MP Zali Steggall, which includes a net-zero target for 2050 and would require the government to set a rolling emissions budget to achieve it, is due to hold hearings on Friday and Monday. Climate Change Authority. (2016b).
Towards a Climate Policy Toolkit: Special Review on Australia`s climate goals and policies The government has shown no signs of expanding climate action and does not plan to increase its 2030 NDC target or adopt a net-zero or stronger emissions reduction target. The government plans to meet its NDC target of the 2030 Paris Agreement by using emission units transferred from the Kyoto Protocol, significantly reducing actual emission reductions, while other countries have ruled out the use of transfers. There are four crucial promises that Australia made in Paris and has now broken. These were not just handshake agreements, it is international law. Ahead of the summit, President Biden`s team called on countries that have been slow to take action on climate change to raise their ambitions. While many countries have answered the call, the major emitters, China and India, have made no new commitments. This makes the recent publication of a report on global climate change ambitions particularly relevant. It is not yet on track to meet this goal, although the government`s existing climate policies – including the Emissions Reduction Fund and the Technology Investment Roadmap – could correct this path. If Australia is really serious about climate action, Morrison must announce a new, stricter target for 2030 and enshrine it in law.
This law must also contain clear processes to coordinate, review and improve the protection of the national climate. With the events of last week, the Morrison government has shown that it is simply not doing what it says on the world stage. Our climate indifference is not only ruthless to our economy, our environment and our people. It is also reckless for our diplomacy, as Morrison`s visit to Glasgow will surely show now. Australia faces a federal election by mid-2022, with the potential to be crucial for climate action. Increased climate ambitions are expected if the elections lead to a party change or a significantly wider majority for the current coalition government, meaning it could overcome internal divisions on the issue. The response to the COVID pandemic has intensified the debate on how to combine economic recovery with climate ambitions, even though economic setbacks have been less severe than in other parts of the world. The federal government has focused on protecting the incomes of individuals and businesses, while largely ignoring the significant potential benefits of green incentives. There is a clear polarization on climate change issues between the two main political parties at the federal level. The coalition of Liberal and National parties has been in power for seven years. Meanwhile, Australia signed the Paris Agreement and committed to a target of reducing emissions by 26-28% from 2005 levels by 2030.
A fundamental principle of international law – and arguably the oldest – is “pacta sunt servanda”, which means that “agreements must be respected”. It is essential to the functioning of the global treaty system. Climate policy is lacking in all sectors. Australia is one of the few G20 countries that does not impose binding emission or fuel efficiency standards for cars. Nor does it have a policy to reduce truck emissions. It has not yet developed a strategy to support electric vehicles. It is based on ineffective mechanisms such as the Emission Reduction Fund and the Safeguard Mechanism, which do not provide incentives to reduce emissions in the industrial sector. Unfortunately, my own country has now shown that it is ready to break both the letter and the spirit of the agreement it has signed.
This is particularly annoying given the extent to which Australia has worked in Paris to ally with those fighting for the strongest deal possible. Hewson said he believes Australia must effectively double its 2030 target to make its contribution to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement (expressed as keeping the average global temperature rise since pre-industrial times well below 2°C and continue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C). Pressure on countries to increase climate targets, including commitments for 2030, is expected to increase this year. In the United States, new President Joe Biden has set a goal for U.S. electricity generation to be carbon-free by 2035, and he is expected to announce a goal for 2030 ahead of the climate conference in Glasgow in November. According to our analysis, Australia will need to take additional steps to meet its 2030 target, even with the expected emission reductions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Emission reductions are the result of declining economic activity, not substantial climate policy. Australia`s economic recovery is not “green”, but follows a gas-fuelled recovery and continues to support fossil fuels through a so-called “technology neutral” approach. Our current national climate change ambitions have drawn criticism both internationally and domestically. Now is the time to make the most of the momentum and action of the private sector and government leaders to push for increased national action.
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