It is unconscionable for Scott Morrison to mislead Australians about his Government’s track record on greenhouse gas emissions.
Over recent days, the Prime Minister has claimed that Australia’s annual carbon emissions have fallen by 50 million tonnes under the Coalition and that his Government will “beat” Australia’s 2020 emissions reduction commitment.
Both claims are untrue.
Australia’s annual emissions fell by 87.5 million tonnes under the former Labor Government but they have fallen by just 0.8 million tonnes under the Coalition.
In fact, excluding emissions related to land use, Australia’s emissions have risen by 21 million tonnes since the Coalition came to power.
And the latest official government emissions data confirms that the Coalition will not meet Australia’s Kyoto commitment to cut emissions to 5 per cent below 2000 levels in 2020.
In fact, our emissions reduction will amount to little more than a rounding error of 0.3 per cent, putting the lie to the Prime Minister’s claim to be meeting and beating Australia’s international commitments.
The government’s own data suggests our emissions will come down during the next 10 years by only less than 5 per cent. At that rate, it will take Australia 230 years to reach net zero emissions, rather than the 30 years scientists tell us is necessary.
At a time of public concern about climate change, Australians deserve better than deceit and inaction from their Prime Minister.