<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/renewables-superpower-or-climate-coward-albanese-needs-to-make-a-choice-before-election/>
"A major new report has detailed the “extraordinary economic opportunity” for
Australia to replace its coal and gas exports with decarbonised commodities,
and reap six to eight times more than the typical revenues it earns from fossil
fuels, and help other major economies to meet their own climate goals.
But renewed calls for Australia to act as a global green superpower are
clashing hard against accusations of “political cowardice,” as the Albanese
government continues to dodge all questions about the 2035 emissions reduction
target it is supposed to set within a few months.
Australia, like other countries signed up to the Paris climate accord, has
committed to submit an updated National Determined Contribution by the end of
February 2025, including a new, and preferably very ambitious, interim
emissions reduction target.
The adoption of 2035 NDCs was agreed to at last year’s COP28 in Dubai, in line
with advice from the IPCC that limiting warming to 1.5°C means pushing global
greenhouse gas emissions 60% below 2019 levels by 2035 – rather than just
aiming for net zero by 2050 and hoping for the best.
This year’s COP29 climate talks, currently underway in Baku, Azderbaijan,
notably kicked off with a commitment from British prime minister Keir Starmer
to an interim UK emissions reduction target of at least 81 per cent on 1990
levels by 2035.
Asked point blank over the weekend whether he might follow suit, Albanese told
a press conference at the APEC Summit in Peru that his government would commit
to delivering its 2030 target, only – a 43% reduction on 2005 levels that was
legislated back in 2022 in the wake of federal Labor’s election win.
“The 2035 target has to be handed down next year,” one journalist pushed. “Will
you commit to giving Australians an idea of what you want that target to be
like?”
“Well, we’re committing to our 2030 target,” the PM said. “It’s legislated.
2030 comes before 2035 and we’re very focused on delivering and we’re on track
to delivering that target.”
These snippy deflections continue to suggest – but by no account confirm – that
federal Labor will keep its powder dry on an interim emissions target unless
and until it is re-elected in the upcoming national poll, which is currently
penciled in for May, following a March federal budget.
This is disappointing from a government that was elected on a climate platform
and promises of disengaging from the climate wars, but now appears cowered to
do so in light of Donald Trump’s triumph and his declared goal of rolling back
policies that support what he describes as a “climate hoax” and “renewables
scam.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
