THE CLIMATE COUNCIL is calling on the Federal Energy Minister, Angus Taylor to stop making misleading comments about Australia meeting its Paris climate targets.

Mr Taylor keeps saying Australia will meet its targets seven years ahead of schedule. He did it again on Radio National Breakfast this morning, but when pushed conceded he was only talking about the electricity market, not the whole economy.

“Angus Taylor is misleading the public. His government’s own published data clearly indicates Australia is not on track to meet its Paris commitments. Those commitments are economy-wide, not just for the electricity sector,” said the Climate Council’s acting CEO, Dr Martin Rice.

Mr Taylor was asked this morning to acknowledge that Australia’s greenhouse gas pollution levels are rising and he responded by saying, “from year to year, you see ups and downs.”

“The energy minister is using very slippery language. The fact is Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions have risen for four years in a row,” said Dr Rice.

Mr Taylor claimed Australia was doing well internationally and that our past record was exemplary.

“Angus Taylor appears to be living in an alternative universe. If all countries were to adopt Australia’s current policies we would be on track for a world that’s 3 degrees warmer than the era prior to mass industrialisation. This would have disastrous consequences for billions of people,” said Dr Rice.

“Mr Taylor is out of touch, not just with the majority of Australians who want to see action on climate change, but with his Liberal colleagues at a state level. Yesterday he derailed an attempt by NSW Climate and Energy Minister Don Harwin to plot a national pathway to net zero emissions by 2050,” he said.

“We cannot allow the Canberra climate wars to continue. The Federal government must adopt a credible climate policy so we can deeply and rapidly reduce our greenhouse gas pollution levels,” he said.

For more information please contact Senior Communications Advisor, Lisa Upton on 0438 972 260.

The Climate Council is Australia’s leading climate change communications organisation. We provide authoritative, expert and evidence-based advice on climate change to journalists, policymakers, and the wider Australian community.

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