The key condition the Government set on its highly conditional 25%
emissions reduction target was the achievement of a global agreement to
stabilise atmospheric carbon at 450 parts per million by 2050. Such an
ambitious goal would be welcome, but would require far stronger action
from Australia and it would mean very steep emissions reductions from
all countries.
The first line of the Prime Minister’s press release from May 4 reads:
‘The Rudd Government has today committed to reduce Australia’s carbon
pollution by 25 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020 if the world agrees
to an ambitious global deal to stabilise levels of CO2 equivalent at 450
parts per million or lower by mid century.’
As Minister Wong acknowledged in Estimates hearings today, however, the
Government’s position, backed up by Professor Garnaut’s modelling, is
for stabilisation at 450ppm by 2140, not 2050. This would put the world
on a much slower and more dangerous reduction trajectory.
“The Prime Minister’s target was wrong by 90 years,” Senator Brown said.
“This mistake changes the whole effect and meaning of the Government’s
position. It moves it from an ambitious global goal to a weak one.
“The Minister’s office and the Department of Climate Change have known
about this mistake since at least Tuesday, when it was revealed by the
ANU’s Andrew Macintosh.
“The Minister told the Committee she would find out whether the Prime
Minister has at any time been informed of this mistake.
“Minister Wong and her department said that no-one in the business of
environment groups backing the Government had asked about the vital
error. It is extraordinary that the mistake was not picked up.”
Tim Hollo
Media Adviser
Senator Christine Milne | Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Climate
Change Spokesperson
Suite SG-112 Parliament House, Canberra ACT | P: 02 6277 3588 | M: 0437
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http://www.christinemilne.org.au/| www.GreensMPs.org.au
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