Ahead of the Paris climate talks in December, most countries are unveiling their climate goals and Australia unveiled their own and they are the weakest of the wealthiest nations with 20% reduction by 2030 against 1990, to be compared with 32% from the United States and a minimum of 40% for the European Union.
This comes as no surprise from the Abbott government, the guys who repealed their country’s carbon tax and lowering the renewables goals and even preventing them from growing. But well, the country is home to a solar revolution that is already undermining coal…
As the BBC reported :
“Australia’s weak target is another serious blow to its international reputation,” said Tony de Brum, Foreign Minister for the Marshall Islands, who argued that the plan sent a serious shudder through the Pacific.
“If the rest of the world followed Australia’s lead, the Great Barrier Reef would disappear. So would my country, and the other vulnerable atoll nations on Australia’s doorstep.”
Given the Abbott government’s track record on repealing the country’s carbon tax and lowering its renewable energy target, their low ball carbon target is hardly a surprise.
Despite the poor reception for the plan, there is a slight silver lining to the dark carbon clouds.
Australia’s commitment means that a new global compact on climate change is more likely to be agreed this December at a crucial UN meeting in Paris.
Meanwhile, neighboring New Zealand pledged to stop using coal by 2018, which amounts to 15.8 percent of electricity generation in the country. Almost 80 percent of the country’s electricity comes from renewables to date.
I don’t know about you but I am really willing to read what will happen in Paris. Let’s hope Humanity – or rather, its elected representatives – wake up to the climate crisis.
Image credits : Flickr.