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international news

CHINA’S CLIMATE ‘AMBITION’ PLEDGE

COULD LEAD TO TOUGHER CO2 TARGETS

A NEW PLEDGE by China to show “the
highest possible ambition” in the fight
against climate change could see the
world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter
introduce new and more stringent carbon
targets next year, according to Reuters.
As US President Donald Trump
continues to cast doubt on the reality
of climate change, China is becoming a
crucial driving force behind worldwide
initiatives to combat global warming,
especially ahead of a United Nations
summit in New York in September.
In a statement issued on the sidelines
of the G20 summit in Osaka, China’s
top diplomat State Councillor Wang Yi,
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le
Drian, and United Nations Secretary CHINA’S CLIMATE PLEDGE COULD LEAD TO TOUGHER CARBON TARGETS
General Antonio Guterres vowed to
“scale up efforts to tackle the climate they are able to do so. The statement by China, France
and biodiversity crisis”. “I believe this is the first time the and the UN also acknowledged the
China and France also pledged to Chinese government has officially importance of achieving net zero
“update” their contributions beyond talked about updating their nationally carbon dioxide emissions by balancing
their current ones to reflect “their determined contributions,” said Zou Ji, CO₂ sources with “sinks” that lock up
highest possible ambition”. The 2015 President of the Energy Foundation in greenhouse gas, but it stopped short of
Paris climate agreement encourages Beijing and a former member of China’s setting a target date. Europe is pushing
countries to make stronger pledges if climate negotiating team. for China to issue a 2050 pledge.

AUSTRALIA WON’T REACH PARIS TARGET WITHOUT
ACTION ON TRANSPORT, LNG AND COAL, SAY EXPERTS

THE CHALLENGE THE Morrison Professor at the Crawford School of
government faces in meeting Public Policy, suggests Australia cannot
future climate targets is underlined meet the target it set at the Paris climate
by an analysis that breaks down summit without policies to address
how significantly greenhouse gas where emissions are rising.
emissions are increasing from He said at the moment the
transport, natural gas and coalmining. government does not have any. AUSTRALIA WON’T REACH PARIS TARGET WITHOUT ACTION
Since 2005, the year against The data is contained in Saddler’s
which the government has chosen to latest national emissions audit, which of its 2020 target under the previous
benchmark its Paris target, Australia’s is published by progressive research climate deal, the Kyoto Protocol.
emissions from transport are up 23 group The Australia Institute. Opponents say using carryover credits
per cent, according to The Guardian. Australia’s total emissions are now would effectively reduce Australia’s
Pollution from burning fossil fuels estimated to be 12.7 per cent less than 2030 target to a 16 per cent cut.
– mainly natural gas, but also coal – they were in 2005. They have increased They say carryover credits are
in manufacturing, construction and each year since 2015, when they were merely a reflection that Australia set
domestic heating has risen 30 per 14.5 per cent below the benchmark easy-to-meet targets under the Kyoto
cent. ‘Fugitive’ emissions released year. The coalition government’s target Protocol – a pollution increase between
during liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a 26-28 per cent cut by 2030. 1990 and 2010, then a per cent cut
processing and coalmining have Saddler said it showed why the between 2000 and 2020 – and that
jumped 55 per cent. government was pushing hard to use what countries will need to drop accounting
The analysis of government data by are known as carryover credits to meet tricks and make much deeper cuts if
Hugh Saddler, an energy consultant, its Paris target. The credits represent the the world is to limit global heating to
and Anu Honorary, Associate amount Australia expects to finish ahead as close to 1.5C as possible.

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News.indd 6 18/07/2019 15:31