Australia has announced a significant increase in its emissions reduction target, pledging to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 62% below 2005 levels by 2035—a substantial rise from its previous 2030 goal of 43%.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled the new commitment on Thursday, describing it as “a responsible target supported by science and a practical plan to get there, built on proven technology.”
The move comes as the country faces growing international criticism over its ongoing dependence on fossil fuels, despite being one of the highest per-capita carbon emitters in the world.
Australia's updated goal is part of its obligations under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels to avert the worst effects of climate change.
The new target aligns with recommendations from the Climate Change Authority—a government advisory body—which proposed an emissions cut of between 62% and 70% by 2035.
Albanese is expected to formally announce the commitment during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month.
The announcement follows a landmark climate risk assessment released earlier this week. Commissioned by the government, the report warned that Australia is facing an increasingly perilous future of extreme weather events due to human-induced climate change.
According to the report, Australia has already surpassed the 1.5°C warming threshold and no community is immune from the "cascading, compounding and concurrent" climate risks.
The assessment projected a rise in heat-related deaths, deteriorating water quality due to flooding and bushfires, and rising sea levels that could threaten 1.5 million people. It also estimated a potential A$611 billion (US$406bn; £300bn) loss in property values as a result of climate-related damage.
While the Albanese government has committed to net zero emissions by 2050 and aspires to make Australia a "renewable energy superpower," it has continued to face criticism for approving new fossil fuel projects.
Just last week, the government gave the green light for Woodside’s North West Shelf—one of the country’s largest gas projects—to continue operations until 2070. The decision was sharply condemned by environmental groups and climate advocates. Greens Senator Larissa Waters called it a “betrayal” by the Labor government.
Climate policy continues to be a politically divisive issue in Australia. The opposition Liberal National coalition is internally debating its position on the net zero goal, with some senior members calling for a rethink. On Thursday, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley dismissed the new 2035 target, saying it failed on both “cost and credibility.”
Following its election in 2022, the Labor government raised the country’s climate ambitions, replacing the former conservative government's 26–28% emissions reduction target with a more aggressive 43% by 2030.
Source: BBC News
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