As the nation continues to battle devastating bushfires, which are being exacerbated by climate change, the Federal Government has confirmed it will use disingenuous and dodgy accounting tricks to meet its woefully inadequate 2030 climate target. 

This morning the Department of Environment and Energy released its ‘Australia’s Emissions Projections 2019’ report which shows that the Federal Government is going to fudge the numbers to reach its climate target of a 26 to 28 percent reduction below 2005 levels by 2030. 

“We are just at the beginning of another dangerous summer, which is shaping up as a terrible trifecta of heatwaves, droughts and bushfires, made worse by climate change,” said Climate Council head of research, Dr Martin Rice.  

“Australia is on the frontline of the escalating crisis, now is not the time to cut corners on climate,” he said. 

“The European Union, New Zealand and Pacific Island Countries have already criticised the Australian Government for wanting to use dodgy accounting tricks to meet its 2030 Paris targets, claiming it is against the spirit of the Paris accord,” said Dr Rice. 

As Minister Angus Taylor travels to Madrid for the climate talks, Australia is likely to face further criticism from other countries, and deservedly so,” said Dr Rice.  

“Australia must contribute to the global effort to deeply and rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Dodgy accounting tricks cannot be a substitute for real action,” said Climate Councillor and climate scientist Professor Will Steffen. 

“Australians want to see strong, credible action and this report released today demonstrates, once again, that the Federal Government is completely out of touch. They do not understand the seriousness of the impacts we are facing right now, nor the real action on climate change that Australians are demanding,” said Professor Steffen. 

“The country is on fire while the Federal Government cooks the books,” he said. 

–

For more information please contact Communications Officer, Brianna Hudson on 0455 238 875. 

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

For further information, go to: climatecouncil.org.au

Or follow us on social media: facebook.com/climatecouncil and twitter.com/climatecouncil