The Climate Change Authority released the first draft report of the Special Review of Australia’s climate change policies and goals in April 2015. The draft report recommends future emissions reduction targets for Australia, and is intended as an input to the Government’s deliberations ahead of the international negotiations for a new climate agreement in Paris at the end of this year.
The Authority recommends a 2025 target for Australia of 30 per cent below 2000 levels. The Authority considers this target is comparable to the efforts of other countries.
In recommending targets, the Authority attaches most weight to the science of climate change, the efforts of comparable countries to reduce their emissions, and Australia's own long term interests. In considering targets for the post-2020 period, the Authority has taken account of the uncertainty regarding Australia's action to 2020, and how quickly Australia might ‘catch up’ with global efforts.
The recommended 2025 target of a 30 per cent reduction by 2025 remains reasonable and achievable even if Australia does not strengthen its 2020 target beyond the minimum 5 per cent reduction. If Australia is able to do more than 5 per cent by 2020, this would allow a more gradual acceleration of effort beyond 2020.
The draft report builds on the Authority's 2014 report, Reducing Australia’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Targets and Progress Review, released in February 2014. The Authority considers the recommendations in that report remain appropriate. These include a 2020 target of 19 per cent below 2000 levels, a 2030 range of 40 to 60 per cent below 2000 levels, and a long-term emissions budget to 2050. These goals would help Australia make a fair contribution to global climate action to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees.
The Authority welcomes stakeholder comments on its draft report.
Date: Wednesday, 22 April 2015