Australia Has No Climate-change Policy  Again Citation
Emily Hanna, Science, Technology, Environment and Resources
Central Issue
Climate policy continues to be controversial. Following the repeal of the carbon price in the last parliament, the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) is now Commonwealth of australia's main mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Withal, two-thirds of the ERF's allocated $2.5 billion funding has now been spent. The ERF, and other policies, will need farther funding to accomplish our climate targets.
Under international climate agreements, Commonwealth of australia has ii targets to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions:
- 5% below 2000 levels by 2022 (under the Kyoto Protocol) and
- 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2030 (under the Paris Agreement).
While Australia appears to be on rail to run into its 2022 target, achieving the 2030 target may show challenging. To achieve this target we need to know where our emissions are coming from and have effective policies to reduce those emissions.
Where do our emissions come from?
The Australian Government tracks our emissions of greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane) through National Greenhouse Gas Accounts. The Department of the Surroundings and Free energy publishes regular Quarterly Updates on Australia'south greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the most recent Quarterly Update, issued in May this year, Australia produced 535.seven million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt COtwo-e) emissions. These emissions came from various sectors:
- Free energy (Electricity)—187.5 Mt CO2-e (or 35% of the total emissions) were produced by fuel combustion to make electricity (on- and off-filigree).
- Free energy (Direct combustion)—94.5 Mt CO2-e (18%) were produced by fuel combustion directly used in energy, mining, manufacturing, buildings and primary industries. Directly combustion excludes electricity use and transport.
- Transport—93 Mt CO2-e (17%) came from fuel combustion used in road, rail, domestic shipping and aviation, off-road recreational vehicles and pipeline send.
- Agriculture—68.5 Mt CO2-e (xiii%) were produced from livestock (approximately 70% of agricultural emissions), awarding of fertilisers and soil additives, soil emissions and burning of agricultural residues.
- Avoiding emissions—39.6 Mt CO2-e (vii%) were produced from fugitive gas emissions from coal, natural gas and oil extraction, processing and supply. Fugitive emissions can be unintentional (for case, a leak) or intentional (such as the burning of waste gases). The main source is coal mines (66%), with underground coal mines producing more than surface mines.
- Industrial processes—33.7 Mt COtwo-e (six%) were produced from industrial and production processes that do non create energy. This includes metal production, chemical industry processes and synthetic gas product and apply (for example, hydrofluorocarbons).
- Waste—12 Mt CO2-e (two%) were produced from waste material decomposition, treatment and combustion. This includes solid waste in landfill (the major source in this category), waste product in wastewater and compost.
- Land use, land use change and forestry —6.five Mt COtwo-e (i%) were produced from deforestation (such as land immigration), reforestation, revegetation and forest, crop and grazing lands management. At that place is a greater level of dubiousness in calculating emissions for this sector.
Commonwealth of australia's climate policies
To meet our international climate targets nosotros will need to reduce emissions across all the sectors outlined higher up. However, finding bipartisan agreement on the most advisable policies to achieve these reductions has been challenging. Climate policy has been a polarising and highly political issue in Australia. Several proposals to establish an emissions trading scheme have come up unstuck, with the onetime ALP Government finally establishing a carbon pricing mechanism in 2012. However, the 'carbon taxation' was repealed by the Abbott Government in 2014. Instead, the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) is now the centrepiece of the Australian Government'southward current policies to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
The Regime is relying on the ERF, as well as a number of other policies, to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and come across our 2030 climate target (see Figure 1). These policies are designed to reduce emissions, increase energy productivity, and boost the uptake of renewable free energy.
However, questions accept been raised every bit to whether these policies, particularly the ERF, are sufficient to attain our 2030 target, detail given that many do not currently announced to accept sufficient funding.
The Climate Modify Authorisation (discussed below) is currently reviewing whether Australia should have an emissions trading scheme, every bit well considering the policies that Australia should implement to encounter the Paris climate agreement. The Authority'south study on these issues will be released by the stop of Baronial 2016.
Effigy 1: Australia's climate policies
Source: Department of the Surround
Emissions Reduction Fund
The ERF is a voluntary scheme designed to provide financial incentives for businesses, landholders and communities to reduce emissions. Under the ERF, the Government purchases greenhouse gas abatement, quantified by Australian Carbon Credit Units through an sale process administered by the Clean Energy Regulator. Before a project can participate (or bid) in an ERF sale, information technology must be eligible and registered with the Clean Energy Regulator.
So far, three auctions have been held nether the ERF, resulting in the buy of 143 one thousand thousand tonnes COii-e in emissions reductions at an average price of $12.10 per tonne. Of the $2.55 billion allocated to the ERF, over $1.vii million, or around ii-thirds, has at present been spent, leaving $816 million remaining. Further funding for the ERF will apparently 'be considered in future budgets'.
A range of projects to reduce emissions have been funded under the ERF then far. These include, for example, projects to replace Melbourne street lights with more energy efficient low-cal bulbs, native forest and vegetation regrowth projects and the use of gas from waste to create energy.
Even so, the ERF has been criticised as an inefficient way of reducing our emissions, amid suggestions that the Authorities is paying polluters for emissions reductions that would have happened anyhow even without the scheme. The Climate change Authority concluded in a 2022 report that 'by itself, and as currently funded, the [ERF] scheme is unlikely to evangelize sufficient emissions reductions to reach even Australia's minimum 2022 target'.
The ERF besides includes a 'safeguard mechanism', which aims to ensure that emissions reductions achieved past the ERF are non offset past rises in emissions elsewhere. The safeguard machinery came into effect on one July 2016, and encourages big businesses not to increase their emissions above historical levels. The mechanism applies to emitters with annual emissions of over 100,000 tonnes CO2-eastward. While the machinery has been criticised every bit weak, some commentators have suggested it could provide the basis for an emissions trading scheme. The mechanism will exist reviewed in 2017.
Energy productivity
To meet our 2030 emissions reduction target, the Government is also relying on the National Energy Productivity Program (NEPP), which aims to enhance energy productivity by xl% between 2022 and 2030. Energy productivity combines traditional free energy efficiency measures (such every bit more than efficient appliances) with new technology and services (such every bit smart appliances and solar power). The principal aims of NEPP are to encourage more productive consumer choices and promote more productive energy services.
Measures listed in the NEPP include, for example, improved vehicle efficiency; and improved residential building energy ratings and disclosure. The NEPP could consequence in reduced greenhouse gas emissions in numerous sectors including ship, agriculture, manufacture, and electricity.
The Authorities expects the NEPP to contribute over ane quarter of the emissions reductions required to meet our 2030 target. Notwithstanding, every bit of July 2016, in that location does not appear to be any additional funding specifically allocated to implement this plan.
Other policies and measures
Renewable energy is an important method of reducing emissions in the energy sectors, which produce over one-half of Australia's emissions (run into above). Policies to increment uptake of renewable energy are discussed separately in the cursory on renewable free energy policy.
The Government has also announced measures to further reduce emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 85% by 2036, with measures planned to get-go by 2018. These strong greenhouse gases are normally used in refrigeration and air conditioning. The Government has said it volition implement measures to reduce HFC emissions by upward to eighty Mt CO2-e by 2030. These measures include banning imports of HFC containing equipment and working with business to encourage proper installation and maintenance of HFC-containing equipment to reduce gas leakage and energy use.
The Regime is too exploring options for improving the fuel efficiency of Commonwealth of australia'south vehicle fleet, through the Vehicle Emissions Ministerial Forum, established in Oct 2015. The Forum released a Discussion Newspaper in February 2022 to seek views on measures to reduce emissions from the road transport sector. This includes consideration of Euro 6 vehicle emissions standards, improved fuel quality standards and measures to increase the fuel efficiency of low-cal vehicles.
Climate advisory bodies
Every bit role of a package of measures along with the 'carbon tax', the quondam ALP Government created government agencies to review climatic change policies and clearly communicate climate science to the public.
The Climate Modify Potency is an independent statutory authorization which came into event in 2012. Information technology provides the authorities and parliament with 'rigorous, contained advice on climate modify policies to improve the quality of life for all Australians'. Information technology does this by carrying out reviews on climate change policies and initiatives such as the Renewable Energy Target.
The Abbott Government introduced legislation in the last parliament in an endeavour to abolish the Climate change Authorization as role of its try to dismantle the old ALP Authorities's climate policy construction. However, the first abolition Beak was rejected by the Senate, while the second Neb somewhen lapsed. Although the attempted abolitionism was not successful, one half (4) of the Dominance's Lath member positions were left vacant for over a yr from 2014. This occurred subsequently the members quit because, co-ordinate to some commentators, the then-Regime:
... fabricated it clear that it would not mind to its [the Climatic change Authorisation'south] communication (although it does seem to accept been influenced by its recommendations on vehicle emissions standards and international permits).
These actions resulted in the Climate change Say-so's hereafter being questioned by commentators. Although new Board members were appointed in late 2015, the Authority's hereafter is nevertheless unclear, given that information technology is currently not funded across 2017.
In dissimilarity, the Abbott Authorities successfully abolished the Climate Committee in 2013. The Climate Commission had been set up past the Gillard Regime to communicate climate science to the Australian public in an understandable manner. Such was the public outcry later on the Climate Commission'south dismantling, that a social media campaign to crowd-fund a replacement body raised nearly $one million in under 1 week. The resultant independent Climate Quango aims to:
... provide independent, authoritative climate change information to the Australian public. Why? Because our response to climate change should be based on the best scientific discipline available.
As well as providing information on climate-related science and climate modify impacts (for example, health), the Climate Council provides reports on policies related to climatic change such every bit renewable energy. The not-for-profit Climate Commission continues to rely on public donations to support its work.
Further reading
A Talberg, Southward Hui and K Loynes, Australian climate change policy to 2015: a chronology, Inquiry paper series, 2015-sixteen, Parliamentary Library, Canberra, 5 May 2016.
Climatic change Authority, Australia's climate policy options, Climate change Authority, 2015.
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