Labor came into power in 2022 making some big promises on the environment.
Beyond the fairly untestable pledge to “end the climate wars“, in October 2022, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek released the Threatened Species Action Plan: Towards Zero Extinctions, which promising to set out “a pathway for threatened species conservation and recovery over the next 10 years”.
But with the indefinite deferral of key parts of Labor’s “nature positive” plan last month, we’re using the latest Paint by Numbers to break down the state of the environment since the ALP took office.
Coal projects approved since Labor took office: four
Projected emissions over the life of those projects: 156 million tonnes
Proposals for new or expanded coal mines currently awaiting federal government approval: 25
Year the government plans to reach net-zero emissions: 2050
Targeted cut in emissions on 2005 levels by 2030: 43%
Cut on 2005 emissions (including land use*) by the end of 2022: 24.7%
Emissions cut since 2005 if we exclude land use*: 2%
Average yearly reduction of carbon dioxide emissions needed to meet its 43% reduction goal by 2030: 17 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent
Change in carbon dioxide emissions in 2022-23: an increase of 4 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent
Average number of animals added to the Threatened Species List every year, prior to 2023: 29
Number of animals added to the Threatened Species List in 2023: 130
Climate change activists jailed since Labor took office: four**
Animals at risk of being the first to go extinct under Labor: two***
*Via the Australian Institute: “Very roughly what [including ‘land use’] means is that the Australian government counts how much carbon dioxide (CO2) has been sucked up by trees and is stored in soil. It then subtracts that from the overall amount of CO2 emitted and comes up with Australia’s ‘net emissions’.
It’s a risky way to manage your climate accounts because the land sector is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. A hotter and drier climate means our vegetation is at increasing risk, and the soil is losing more carbon than ever.”
**Colette Harmsen (July 2023), Deanna “Violet” Coco and Bradley Homewood (March 2024), Ali Alishah (March 2024).
***The Yalmy galaxias and Maugean skate.
