This week, Peter Dutton and the Coalition suggested that, if elected, they would scrap Labor’s legislated emissions reductions target of 43% of 2005 levels by 2030. This would essentially mean Australia would fail to meet its obligations under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
However, if you ask Dutton, he’ll say the Albanese government isn’t on track to meet its Paris obligations anyway, telling The Australian there is “no sense in signing up to targets you don’t have any prospect of achieving”.
There are several politically self-serving reasons for the Coalition — whose environmental record is also dire — to walk away from Labor’s 2030 target. But regardless, is Dutton simply saying what everyone is thinking?
The Paris Agreement, a legally binding accord, seeks to bolster the global response to the climate crisis by limiting the increase in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Yet, with Australia’s emissions reduction target potentially out of reach, even without incorporating our scope three emissions, are we upholding our commitments?
The latest report from the independent Climate Change Authority projects Australia’s emissions to reach 42% below 2005 levels by 2030, just shy of its target. Based on this projection, the Labor government asserts the country’s current trajectory is aligned with the target. All is fine.
However, the report also highlights a concerning trend: emissions have increased under Labor, and in 2023 rose by four megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent — that’s the emissions produced by approximately 2 million flights from Sydney to London. Notably, emissions in the industry and resources sectors also increased in 2023.
With less than a decade remaining until Australia’s 2030 deadline, our current strategy is not trending in the right direction.
So, on this point, Dutton is correct. Plus, even if the government makes good on its 43% target, this likely still won’t be enough to keep warming below 1.5 degrees. Rather, these policies seem set to catapult us into a world of at least 2 degrees of warming. This difference would see coral reefs decline by 99% and an Arctic devoid of sea ice at least once every 10 years.
Australia can achieve much greater emissions reductions than 43% of 2005 levels by 2030. We can decarbonise our electricity and transport sectors, invest heavily in electrification, and genuinely commit to reducing carbon pollution in line with reducing emissions by at least 75% in the same time frame. Yet our target remains woefully inadequate.
The Paris Agreement is an example of international cooperation, yet Australia’s approach is anything but. The 43% target excludes all emissions from the burning of fossil fuels mined in Australia and exported elsewhere, despite Australia being the third largest exporter of fossil fuels. In the eyes of our government, responsibilities end at our borders, with little regard for what happens once these fossil fuels are no longer in our possession. How can we in good faith wash our hands of any responsibility for such emissions, while patting ourselves on the back for reaching our targets?
Australia’s climate policy is riddled with holes that prevent us from being allies in the international fight against climate change. Yet even if the Albanese government can buck the recent trend and meet the country’s 2030 emissions target, this would still pale in comparison to the efforts we ought to be undertaking to contribute meaningfully to climate mitigation efforts.
As long as Labor continues to endorse gas as a key export and source of energy past 2050, it will continue to betray its climate policy and international commitments. And while it continues to commit Australia to exporting gas overseas and turning a blind eye to the emissions it sets in motion, it continues to undermine its aims to ensure a safe and liveable climate for its citizens, First Nations communities, our Pacific neighbours and future generations.
The time for gradual and measured action is long behind us. Meeting Australia’s commitments under the Paris Agreement now requires rapid ambition. This is the critical decade for climate action, and the country is watching as the Albanese government continues to uphold gas as a key pillar of Australia’s energy and exports, and as it continue to distance itself from its duty of care to the young people of today and tomorrow.
The crux of Peter Dutton’s argument is that the government won’t fulfil its obligations and commitments by 2030. He might just be right.
Are you satisfied with Labor’s climate policies, or does it need to do more? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.
