Media Releases

13 April, 2024

The Climate Change Authority’s (CCA) recommendation of a 65-75 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 needs to be increased to a floor of 75 per cent by 2035 to be seriously considered for Australia’s next National Determined Contribution and keep us aligned with the Paris Agreement target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees.

Greater ambition like this is possible. Recent ClimateWorks and CSIRO analysis advises Australia’s 2030 emissions would need to be 68% below 2005 levels (which approximates to around 85 per cent in 2035). And the Climate Council advises a 75 per cent reduction is possible by as early as 2030, however we must stop talking and start acting.

This includes urgently setting strong sectoral targets to ensure emissions reduction are shared across the board. Every industry and sector will need to pull its weight to get us there.

What also must be addressed as part of any discussion, is the immediate correction of our inaccurate methane emissions reporting. Methane is turbo charging global heating in the short term, so it is vital we do what we can to curb it.

Australia is currently misleading the international community by grossly under reporting methane emissions, particularly from coal, oil and gas. Australia’s coal and gas production leaks about 33 million tonnes of fugitive methane into the atmosphere during coal and gas production each year.

Recent 2024 Global Methane Tracker results clearly shows what we already know – that we are failing to adequately measure emissions – by a huge and significant 64% - equivalent of 6 per cent of our national total. This level of inaccuracy is unacceptable when there are clear solutions to ensure accurate measurement and verification.

We can have little confidence in our nation’s targets until we first create confidence in our emissions measurement. The elephant in the room is that the CCA Targets, Pathways and Progress Issues Paper is silent on the gross underreporting of methane and the extent to which that has been considered in the National Determined Contribution recommendations. This is despite recommendations made previously on the need to address improvements, including of methodologies under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act.

Australia is significantly falling behind the world in accurately reporting emissions. In order for our target to be recognised by the international community, particularly the investor community, we must take immediate steps to improve our reporting and then focus on strong, ambitious targets of  upwards of 75 per cent by 2035.

I will be seeking clarity from both the Climate Change Authority and the Minister for Climate Change on how current emissions under reporting is being rectified in the context of setting our National Determined Contribution. Failing to address this will undermine all future targets.

With global heat and temperatures at record levels, and rising, it is critical that we act urgently.

There is a small but definite window available upscale our emissions reductions to reach Net Zero as soon as possible to avoid temperature tipping points being reached and to ensure a safer future. We must aim for 75 percent by 2035 at a minimum.