Australia’s carbon emissions reduction target of just five per cent is inadequate and not credible according to the federal government’s own independent climate policy adviser.
In a draft report on emissions reduction targets, the Climate Change Authority (CCA) today said Australia’s commitment to cutting emissions by five per cent from 2000 levels by 2020 would leave Australia lagging behind other comparable countries such as the United States.
It has not recommended a final, tougher target, but has canvassed two options for emissions reductions targets.
It says there could be a 15 per cent reduction by 2020, with a trajectory range of 35 to 50 per cent by 2030.
Alternatively, there could be a 25 per cent reduction in emissions by 2020, with a trajectory range of 40 to 50 per cent by 2030.
The report comes as the European Union has revealed that it has almost already achieved its 20 per cent reduction target for 2020 and is considering a 40 per cent reduction target for 2030.
Britain has urged the Eu to go even further and set that target at 50 per cent.
The CCA report said a weaker 2020 target would require faster reductions later, if Australia is to play its fair role in contributing to the international goal of limiting global warming by two degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels.
However, Environment Minister Greg Hunt said the new conservative Liberal-National government would not change its targets until it gauged the international response at the next UN Climate Summit, due to be held in Paris in September 2015.
The Liberal-National government wants to do away with the CCA, which is led by former Reserve Bank governor Bernie Fraser, and is proposing to legislate it out of existence in the coming term of parliament.
The authority was set up by the former Labor government to provide expert advice on carbon pricing and climate policy.
“This is one input, it’s a draft report, I respect and appreciate the contribution,” Mr Hunt said.
“Our timeframe remains unchanged.
“The world will make a decision at the end of 2015.
“We will do our analysis based on how the world is tracking at that point.”
CCA chief executive officer Anthea Harris said Australia was able to work towards a higher target than a five per cent reduction by 2020.
“Moving from a five to something like a 15 or a 25 per cent target is achievable,” Ms Harris said.
“The government’s own conditions, which are bipartisan, for moving beyond five per cent, have been met.”
She says lifting emissions reduction targets would not hamper economic growth.
Under the current five per cent minimum target, gross national income (GNI) per person is expected to grow by 0.8 per cent a year until 2020.
Under a 15 per cent target, GNI would grow by 0.78 per cent per person, and by 0.76 per cent for a 25 per cent target.
“The costs of moving beyond five per cent are relatively small, and moving beyond five (per cent) would put us more in line with what other countries are doing,” she said.
ABC News reports Ms Harris would not be drawn on the federal government’s Direct Action policy, saying the CCA has tried not to “speculate on the design details of that arrangement”.
The CCA will accept submissions on the draft report until November 29, with the final report due to be handed to the government by the end of February.
The Labor opposition’s Environment spokesman Mark Butler has warned against shutting the authority down, and said he hoped the government took the report seriously.
“The United States is working to a reduction target of 17 per cent by 2020,” he said.
“Europe other countries have similar targets.
“This is a debate we need to have and I’d like to see the independent voices maintained in the debate rather than shut down.”
Australian Greens Party leader Senator Christine Milne said the government should abandon the five per cent reduction target and agree to cut emissions by at least 25 per cent.
“Well, a five per cent reduction is woefully inadequate,” she said.
“The Climate Change Authority has now confirmed that and this really puts the spotlight on Tony Abbott.
“He has tried to say that he accepts the climate science.
“Australia has signed up to constraining global warming to less than two degrees and five per cent will not do that task.”
At the same time Mr Hunt has used the report’s release to continue building pressure on Labor and opposition leader Bill Shorten over abolishing the current carbon price laws.
Legislation to repeal the fixed carbon price will also be put before Parliament when it sits in less than two weeks.
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