Antinuclear

The government has published an issues paper ahead of public consultation on Australia’s post-2020 emissions reduction targets ahead of a new global climate deal in Paris at the end of this year.

Australia’s targets are under review and the government has promised it will announce new targets mid-year…….the Greens said the paper puts Australia on track for a repeat of 1997 Kyoto talks, where then environment minister Robert Hill argued Australia should be made an exception because of the economy’s high dependence on coal……..

Critics have attacked the seven-page document for failing to mention the internationally agreed goal of avoiding 2 degrees of global warming.

The wording of the discussion paper raises the possibility the government may argue that Australia’s heavily resource-based economy should qualify it for special treatment in international talks………

The Climate Institute said that while the government’s intergenerational report made reference to the 2 degree goal, its discussion paper used a global energy scenario that would put the world on track for nearly 4 degrees of warming.

“The Issues Paper states ‘by 2040, it is estimated that 74 per cent [of the world’s primary energy needs] will still be met by carbon-based sources because of growing demand in emerging economies’,” chief executive John Connor said.

He said this scenario was based on modelling by the International Energy Agency that assumed countries would only implement existing policies and proposals to cut greenhouse gases.

“This assumes that no countries will take any further action for the next 25 years,” Mr Connor said.

“The IEA admits this scenario would witness warming of at least 3.6 degrees. A world of four degrees warming would be disastrous for Australia’s economy, security and environment.”

Mr Connor said other major emitting economies were moving to “increase not decrease credible climate action”…….

Greens leader Christine Milne said on Saturday “nothing has changed since 1997”.

“In 1997, Robert Hill argued that Australia was an exception, that our economy was disproportionately dependent on coal and therefore we were a special case and needed an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

“Fast forward to 2015 and we have a repeat performance from Greg Hunt and Tony Abbott: Australia is set to argue again that 60 per cent of our energy comes from coal.”

The paper, Setting Australia’s Post-2020 Target for Greenhouse Gas Emissions, says the government is open to new policy measures to cut emissions, beyond its existing Direct Action Plan.

It invites public suggestions on what Australia’s next target should be.

It acknowledges that countries will be expected to justify well in advance of Paris how their targets are “fair and ambitious in light of their national circumstances” and “how it contributes to achieving the [United Nation’s] objective of stabilising emissions at a level that would avoid dangerous climate change”. http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australia-at-risk-of-failing-biggest-climate-test-in-a-decade-say-climate-groups-as-government-releases-paris-discussion-paper-20150328-1m9v33.html