Page 16 - Climate Control News April 2020

In Focus
AUSTRALIA’S EMISSIONS ARE skyrocketing but the federal government has refused to provide the public with the truth, according to Independ- ent Member of Parliament (MP), Andrew Wilkie.
The Tasmanian MP said its time for the gov- ernment and the opposition to stop spreading disinformation, especially during the current cli- mate emergency.
Wilkie has sponsored legislation seeking to amend the National Greenhouse and Energy Re- porting Act 2007. In late February, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the En- vironment and Energy called for submissions on the Bill until March 20, 2020.
The Bill proposes a regular schedule for quar- terly emissions reporting by the relevant Minis- ter which includes scope 3 emissions in all re- porting obligations.
This would expand reporting to include emis- sions occurring in the wider economy, and inter- nationally.
Queensland MP and Chair of the Committee, Ted O’Brien, said if the Bill came into effect, emissions generated internationally from the use of exported fossil fuels would be included in Australia’s national inventory of greenhouse gas emissions.
During the second reading of the amend- ment, Wilkie said Australia's domestic emis- sions are large, but the nation’s exported emis- sions are even larger.
“It's absolutely essential that the Australian public has timely access to accurate information about this, including an especially accurate un- derstanding of how our massive exports fuel cli- mate change,” he said.
“The government simply cannot be allowed to continue to get away with accounting tricks and historical credits when the public can see our gross emissions skyrocketing. This bill will
ensure transparency and accountability in the Australian government's national emissions ac- counting and is an essential step towards rapid and urgent emissions reduction.”
Wilkie said the two major parties are not will- ing to put the national interest first by withdraw- ing support for fossil fuel companies.
He said they are not prepared to put aside their political self-interest and achieve a consensus that transcends party politics and electoral cycles.
“To help turn this situation around we need to prevent the government from hiding or corrupt- ing emission figures by giving the public better access to Australia's greenhouse gas data. This bill should not be necessary, the government should be open and transparent with its emis- sions data,” Wilkie said.
“THE GOVERNMENT SIMPLY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO GET AWAY WITH ACCOUNTING TRICKS.”
“All our fossil fuel exports, processed and used in energy generation internationally, will be in- cluded in the national inventory. And that would allow Australia to track its impact as one of the largest exporters of fossil fuels, and allow the community access to information about Aus- tralia's position in contributing to global green- house gas emissions.
“The government continues to insist that Aus- tralia can do little to influence global climate change on the basis that our emissions make up only 1.3 per cent of the world total. But when the carbon dioxide potential of our fossil fuel exports
is taken into account, Australia is actually the third-largest exporter on the globe.
“In fact, when Australian fossil fuels are burned overseas, the amount of carbon dioxide they produce is higher than the exported emis- sions of almost all of the world's biggest oil- and gas-producing nations including Iraq, Kuwait and Canada,” Wilkie told parliament.
“Australia is only behind Russia and Saudi Arabia when it comes to fossil fuel exports.”
In the September 2019 Quarterly Update of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory
emissions fell 0.3 per cent or 1.4 Mt CO2-e to 530.8 Mt CO2-e.
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor, admitted LNG exports has put up- ward pressure on emissions.
Emissions related to LNG production, a key export sector, increased by 16.9 per cent or 6.3 Mt CO2-e in the year to September 2019. Australia’s LNG exports are estimated to be worth $50.4 bil- lion in the year to September 2019.
Taylor said emissions generated by exports have increased 54 per cent on 2005 levels and are now 39.1 per cent of Australia’s total emissions.
“Despite this upward pressure, emissions per capita and the emissions intensity of the econo- my continue to fall and are at their lowest levels in nearly three decades,” he said. ✺
LEFT: South Australia’s Port Augusta power station prior to being de- commissioned.
BELOW RIGHT: Tasmanian Independent MP, Andrew Wilkie.
BELOW LEFT: Minister for Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor.
CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU
Emissions reporting bill to include fossil fuel exports
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