Australia: Climate Change Issues
December 14, 2022
Australia: Climate Change Issues
On a per capita basis Australians have the world’s 10th
one-third of Australia’s population and accounts for around
largest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions: according to the
one-third of the country’s economic output.
World Bank, Australians emitted 15.2 metric tons of CO2
on a per capita basis in 2019. In 2019, Australia was the
Figure 1. Change in Net Emissions of Major
16th largest emitter of all CO2 by country, accounting for
Economies [Excluding Land Use, Land Use Change
approximately 1.3% of the global total. Some experts note,
and Forestry (LULUCF) and Agriculture Emissions]
however, that Australia’s total CO2 emissions would be
closer to 4% of world emissions if Australia’s fossil fuel
exports are included. In 2021, Australia was the world’s
leading exporter of coal, accounting for 35.7% of the
world’s total coal exports, which was worth $43.9 billion.
Australia also is estimated to have the third largest reserves
of coal in the world, and is one of the world’s largest
exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Impact of Climate Change
Observers note that some impacts from human-induced
climate change, such as an increase in the frequency of
extreme heat events, are already occurring in Australia, and
they expect current changes to continue and intensify in the
future. Average annual temperatures for Australia have
warmed 1.4 degrees Celsius since 1910.
The year 2019 was the hottest and driest year on record in
Australia. The number of extreme fire risk days has grown
over the past four decades. “Black Summer” bushfires
The Great Barrier Reef, an important global carbon sink
during the 2019-2020 bushfire season killed 33 people
and key part of Australia’s tourism sector, suffered mass
(with an additional 455 deaths attributed to bushfire
coral bleaching in 2016, 2017, and 2020 due to rising ocean
smoke), burned more than 65,000 square miles of land,
temperatures likely caused by climate change. While
released an estimated 186 million tons of carbon into the
Australia has long experienced drought, bushfires, and
atmosphere, and killed or displaced close to an estimated 3
flooding, projections indicate Australia will likely
billion animals. One report indicated that the emissions
experience increasing temperatures, as well as more severe
from these fires were more than Australia emits in a typical
floods, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, droughts, and
year by burning fossil fuels. Another study found that the
bushfires, as a consequence of climate change.
annual area burned across Australia has been increasing
over the past three decades.
Domestic Climate Politics
Australia has struggled to reconcile its economic reliance
Eastern Australia experienced four major floods in the 18
on fossil fuels with the need to address climate change.
months prior to July 2022. When touring flood-damaged
Australia’s position on climate change has been
communities in New South Wales (NSW) in July 2022,
transformed as a result of the May 2022 election, which
Prime Minister Albanese stated, “The science told us that if
marked a shift to candidates favoring action on climate
we continued to not take action globally on climate change,
change. Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison of the right-
then these events, extreme weather events, would be more
often and more intense. And what we’re seeing,
of-center Liberal-National Coalition famously brought a
lump of coal into parliament in 2017 and urged Australia to
unfortunately, is that play out.” The New South Wales
not be afraid of coal. Morrison’s lack of action to address
Climate Change Adaption Strategy states, “Climate change
climate change is seen as a key reason for his electoral
has already altered day-today weather patterns (in NSW)
defeat by Anthony Albanese of the Australian Labor Party
and increased extreme weather events ... with the state
(ALP), which won 77 of 151 seats in the House of
warming faster than the global average. Since the pre-
Representatives. “Teal” independents and the Green Party,
industrial period, NSW has already warmed by 1.4-1.6°C
who urge more immediate action on climate change, also
(CSIRO 2021) which is 1.4 times faster than the global
made significant gains in the election. Labor campaigned
average.... This means that NSW is already experiencing
the impacts of climate change.”
on a pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 43% by 2030
NSW is home to just under
with a goal of net zero by 2050. (The United States has set a
target of 50%-52% reductions over 2005 levels in 2030.)
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Australia: Climate Change Issues
The Green Party’s standing in the Senate may further
by 2030. The ALP won the May 2022 election with a
influence climate change legislation. The Greens argue that
platform that included a policy to reduce Australia’s
“Australia needs urgently to phase out fossil fuels for
emissions by 43% by 2030 and to keep Australia on track to
export and domestic use” and achieve net zero greenhouse
reach net zero by 2050. In June 2022, the new Labor
gas (GHG) emissions by 2035. Labor will likely need the
government updated Australia’s NDC accordingly. One
support of the Greens to pass climate legislation in the
climate advocacy group, the Climate Action Tracker, has
Senate. The Greens and independents may seek to leverage
observed that while Labor has committed to significant
this to get the ALP to set more ambitious emissions
improvements over the previous government, “Australia
reduction targets. Greens leader Adam Bandt has said he
will need to adopt more ambitious climate policies and take
wants a commitment for no new coal mines in Australia.
further action to (be) compatible with limiting warming to
1.5°C.... To achieve this the Albanese Government needs to
The ALP issued its report Powering Australia in the lead-
abandon its support for new fossil fuel projects.” Domestic
up to the May 2022 election. In that report, the ALP sets
emissions reductions proposed by the Greens and Teal
forth its plan to reduce Australia’s GHG emissions while
independents align more closely with the 1.5 degree goal.
creating jobs and reducing energy costs, and promises to
reduce emissions by boosting renewable energy and making
Approach to COP Negotiations
electric vehicles cheaper. Labor’s plan calls for increasing
The previous Morrison government reportedly resisted
the share of renewables in the National Electricity Market
pressure to set more ambitious targets in the lead-up to the
to 82% by 2030. Labor also pledges to reduce the public
UNFCCC annual Conference of Parties (COP26) in
service’s emission to net zero by 2030 and to invest in a
Glasgow, United Kingdom, in 2021.The new Albanese
New Energy Apprentices and New Energy Skills Program.
government is reportedly considering joining the global
methane pledge, which seeks a 30% reduction in methane
International Climate Politics
emissions by 2030 relative to 2020 levels. By some
Australia’s relative inaction in addressing causes and
estimates, 26% of Australia’s GHG emissions were from
consequences of climate change under the previous Liberal-
methane in 2021. The ALP has declared its intention to bid
National Coalition government was not an asset in its
to co-host a future COP summit in Australia with Pacific
relations with Pacific Island Countries (PICs). In the 2018
partner countries. The new ALP government’s shift to
Boe Declaration on Regional Security, Pacific Islands
undertake more action to address climate change will move
Forum leaders reaffirmed that “climate change remains the
Australia more in line with international efforts at future
single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and
COP meetings. Further development of the Albanese
wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific and our commitment
government’s position on climate change may well be
to progress the implementation of the Paris Agreement.”
influenced by the Green Party and pro-climate action
independents, due to the political leverage they now have,
In an address to Pacific Island leaders, Australia’s new
particularly in the Senate. Prime Minister Albanese
Labor Party, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, discussed
emphasized the importance of acting to address climate
Australia’s new approach to climate change. She stated,
change in his remarks to the Organization for Economic
“nothing is more central to the security and wellbeing of the
Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris in July
Pacific than climate change.... We have heard the Pacific
2022.
and we will act—standing shoulder to shoulder with the
Pacific as we address the climate crisis.” Australia’s shift
Cooperation with the United States
on climate change will likely help its relations with PICs at
The leaders of the United States, Australia, Japan, and India
a time of rising geopolitical tensions with China in the
launched a Quad Climate Change Adaptation and
region. It should also help facilitate the objectives of the
Mitigation Package at their Tokyo meeting in May 2022.
Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP), an informal mechanism
The Quad Leaders Joint Statement following the meeting
of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and
recognized “the urgent need to address climate change as
the United States established in June 2022 to foster “more
emphasized in the latest IPCC reports,” adding, “we will
effective and efficient cooperation in support of Pacific
steadfastly implement the Paris Agreement and deliver on
Island priorities,” including the urgent challenge of
the outcomes of COP26, accelerating our efforts to raise
addressing climate change. Australia has increased its
global ambition, including reaching out to key stakeholders
climate finance commitment to AD$2 billion (US$1.37
in the Indo-Pacific region and supporting, strengthening,
billion) over the period 2020-2025, with AD$700 million
and enhancing climate actions by partners in the region
(US$481 million) of that figure to be spent on climate
including through mobilizing climate finance, both public
adaptation and resilience, disaster preparedness, and
and private, and facilitating the research, development, and
renewable energy projects in the Pacific.
deployment of innovative technology.” The Joint Statement
of the December 2022 Australia-U.S. Ministerial
Nationally Determined Contribution
Consultations (AUSMIN) emphasized the “need for urgent
(NDC)
action on climate change and the importance of a clean
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are the
energy transition, committing to pursue these as a new
primary way in which countries who are parties to the Paris
pillar of the U.S.-Australia Alliance.”
Agreement (PA) communicate their own contribution to
meeting the goals of the PA. Under the former Morrison
Bruce Vaughn, Specialist in Asian Affairs
government, Australia’s NDC committed to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by 26%-28% below 2005 levels
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Australia: Climate Change Issues
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