A new global report reveals Australia is one of only two countries in the Group of 20 (G20) not implementing or planning any sort of carbon price scheme, one of only four without a national policy to increase renewable energy and ranks last in cutting greenhouse gas emissions from transport.
An assessment by 14 organisations the Climate Transparency report, put Australia’s climate policies under the spotlight ahead of a G20 virtual summit, with the nation urged to boost its plan to address environmental impacts.
AAP Newsagency reports climate policies from the world’s top 19 economies and the European Union have been contrasted and compared ahead of Friday’s summit, with Australia and India pinpointed as the only two without a carbon pricing scheme.
The conservative Liberal-National government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison was found to have no national policies to expand renewable energy, phase out coal, phase out fossil fuel cars, decarbonise heavy-duty vehicles, change the nature of mass public or freight transport, retrofit existing buildings or reduce deforestation.
The Climate Transparency report found Australia’s spending on fossil fuel subsidies per unit of GDP was above the G20 average, along with Mexico, South Africa, Argentina, Italy, France and Russia.
The report was put together by 14 organisations across the G20 countries, including Climate Analytics.
AAP reports most G20 members have policies to increase renewable generation, with Australia again an outlier along with Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The Liberal-National federal government has met its 2020 target for 33,000 gigawatt-hours, or 23.5 per cent, of Australia’s electricity to come from renewable sources, and has not set another goal.
Australia performs the worst when it comes to policies to decarbonise the transport sector.
The United Kingdom has put itself as a frontrunner for the phasing out of fossil fuel vehicles, with cars and vans only powered by petrol and diesel banned from sale from 2030.
Australia has not released its electric vehicles policy after the Liberal-National government heavily criticised Labor’s hopes for 50 per cent of all new car sales by 2030 be electric.
The report comes as Australia is resisting pressure to set an emissions target and introduce policies to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Once the US president-elect Joe Biden takes office, the target will be backed by more than 70 countries including all members of the G7, the European Union and China, which says it will be carbon-neutral before 2060.
Australia’s emissions reduction goal of 26 to 28 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030 is deemed insufficient to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius, with the nation also tipped to face some of the worst impacts of climate change.
The report points to last summer’s bushfires as evidence climate change is already influencing fire seasons, explaining that record-breaking temperatures and low rainfall added to the impacts.
The fires burnt more than nine million hectares, razed 3000 structures and killed 33 people.
Ursula Fuentes-Hutfilter, a senior policy adviser with Climate Analytics, which contributed to the report, said the report highlighted how poorly Australia was doing in addressing the climate crisis.
“When measured up against other G20 nations, the Australian government’s record is simply embarrassing,” she said.
Bill Hare from Climate Analytics said Australia ranked fourth-highest in the G20 for economic losses from climate impacts.
“The Australian government has few policies to address these issues, and its international reputation is at stake,” he said.
AAP reports an international coalition of universities has also formed to implore G20 countries to prioritise climate action as part of their pandemic recoveries.
The International Universities Climate Alliance, founded and led by University of NSW, is comprised of almost 50 of the world’s top-rated universities for climate and environment research.
UNSW’s Professor Matthew England said Australia should be at the forefront of reducing emissions as it’s one of the countries most exposed to climate change.
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One Response
Yes, Australia ruled by mass corruption and the revolving door of the fossil fuel industry let alone the rubbish on Channel Moron, Radio Retard and the Muddledoc press.