Australian carbon emissions down 34% since 1990

Australia's carbon emissions have been slashed 34 percent per capita since 1990, said a government report released on Tuesday. The review of climate change policies report found that Australia's emissions are at their lowest level in 28 years on both a per capita and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) basis. It found that Australia was on track to achieve its 2020 emissions target by 294 million tons, up from the 224 million tons projected in the 2016 climate change policy report. 

"Australia is playing its part on the world stage through bilateral and multilateral initiatives and the ratification of the Paris Agreement to reduce our emissions by 26 to 28 percent on 2005 levels by 2030," Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said in a media release on Tuesday. "The review also found that Australia has a comprehensive set of emission reduction policies in place covering every sector of the economy." In order to achieve its 2030 goal, the government must see to emissions being reduced by 122 million tonnes compared to 2016. The report was welcomed by the Business Council of Australia (BCA) with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jennifer Westacott describing the plan outlined in the report as sensible and practical. "It is good news that Australia remains on track to meet its international obligations and our 2020 emissions reduction target," Westacott said. 

The Australian government will set out its long-term emissions reductions strategy by 2020, as agreed to under the Paris Agreement. However, the Greens slammed the climate review as a piece of "propaganda" designed to justify the government's failed policies. Greens climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt gave another set of data and estimates. He said that Australia's overall annual emissions in 2016-17 are estimated to have increased 0.7 percent on the previous year. The country is on track for only 5 percent emissions cuts by 2030 on 2005 levels, less than the 26 percent to 28 percent set by the government, with no detailed, credible mechanism to reach the 2030 targets. Bandt said the government intends to weaken its flawed Emissions Reduction Fund by shifting the goalposts and allowing companies' pollution baselines to be increased to allow them to be more polluting.