Today the Government delivered its Second Annual Climate Statement

“The Australian climate movement is putting forward a positive agenda to tackle the climate crisis that all political parties can support,” said Leigh Ewbank of Solutions for Climate Australia.

Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy today delivered the second Annual Climate Statement to Parliament.

The statement revealed that Australia is on track for a 42% reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2030, falling a little short of the Albanese Government’s target of a 43% reduction. Encouragingly it is an improvement on last year’s projection of a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and in Minister Bowen's words, is "within striking distance" of the legislated target of a 43 reduction by 2030. The improved forecast is welcome after nearly a decade of inadequate climate policy under the Coalition, however there remains a gulf between what the government is striving for and what the best-available science shows is needed (a 75 percent cut by the end of this decade). The government must maintain and increase the momentum towards meeting and beating its targets.

The climate movement acknowledges that serious and significant progress has been made however as the Minister said, the “job is far from done”. The government needs to be significantly more ambitious and aim to hold global temperature warming to 1.5 degrees.

The improvement in emissions reduction needs to be put into context with the impact of Australia’s fossil fuel exports. A recent analysis by the Australian Conservation Foundation found that for every tonne of climate pollution reduced, more than seven tonnes will come from new fossil fuel projects approved or receiving support from the government. There are insufficient plans to address this problem: the government needs to take the next steps to phase out new gas and coal mines and exports.

Efforts to tackle the climate crisis are essential to create community benefits from the global renewable industry. These include lowering inflation, increasing jobs, creating new industry and improving standards of living, whilst at the same time decreasing risks from bushfires, heatwaves, and other climate disasters.

“Strong climate policies are needed to seize the economic opportunities of the global renewable energy transition and protect communities from intensifying bushfires, heatwaves, and extreme weather.” said Leigh Ewbank of Solutions for Climate Australia.

Solutions for Climate sees the annual statement as a significant moment to push for progress, create high expectations for government, and an opportunity for accountability. Ahead of the statement over 50 climate organisations joined a sign-on letter to the government with four clear policy priorities:

• Deliver a historic investment in climate solutions to accelerate decarbonisation and prepare communities for climate impacts. Australia can draw inspiration from the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act to make large and strategic investments, which will alleviate cost-of-living pressures, create jobs, and support the resilience of communities to climate impacts.

• Rule out new coal and gas projects in accordance with the calls of Pacific Island nations and the analysis of the International Energy Agency, which shows these are not needed for our decarbonising world.

• Take steps to ensure Australia beats its target of a 43 percent emissions cut by 2030 and ensure the forthcoming Net Zero 2050 decarbonisation plan can deliver net-zero emissions by 2035. 

• Sign and support the Port Vila Call for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific.

The letter went to the Prime Minister, the Minister and every sitting ALP member and Senator in parliament.

The Guardian reported that the statement highlighted climate change as a national security issue but that the government has refused to release the Office of National Intelligence report on climate and national security. This highlighting of national security risks comes as grassroots advocacy has been calling on the government to release the report. The Minister said of climate change that it posed an “existential national security risk to the region and our partners.”

These risks only highlight further the need to accelerate plans to get to net zero and move the target date from 2050 to 2035.

The government responded to the Climate Change Authority report in the statement. The government accepted or noted 39 of the CCA recommendations and rejected three. These were 1) a fuel emissions standard (FES) for light vehicles leading to net zero, 2) a cost benefit analysis for a FES for heavy vehicles and, 3) No action on new and existing gas connections. These are important recommendations from the CCA, the government should be following international best practice on FES and failure to support the recommendation on new gas connections ignores the very clear science on the impacts of gas on both health and climate change. The government needs to show more urgency and ambition in these areas.

The Minister announced that at COP28, next week, he planned to call for stronger international action, stronger mitigation language, for a tripling of renewable targets and a doubling of energy efficiency targets. He also said that Australia would be advocating for the Pacific and for strong and practical outcomes.

Ted O’Brien Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Industry responded in parliament on behalf of the opposition, emphasising transparency and accountability as key roles of the annual Climate Statement. Disappointingly, Mr O’Brien’s response contained no policy announcements or policy details. 

“Climate groups across the country will be looking to the parliament to show greater leadership on climate in 2024.” said Leigh Ewbank of Solutions for Climate Australia.