As world leaders prepare for the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, the prospects for raised ambitions from Australia appear bleak. While Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made some noises about the need to bring down global emissions, many see him at heart as a climate denier – or at best a climate agnostic – and he has stoically refused to follow the leaders of other high-emitting countries in setting a net-zero target. However, behind the scenes, his government is working to come in line with the rest of the world and commit to net-zero emissions by 2050.
Morrison’s only recent measure to cut fossil fuel use – to the fury of French President Emmanuel Macron – has been to tear up a A$90bn contract for French diesel-powered submarines. His government has yet to budge from its 2015 target aimed at reducing emissions by 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. This goal is consistent with warming of 4°C above pre-industrial levels – rather than the 1.5°C in the Paris Agreement – if all other countries followed a similar level of ambition, says Climate Action Tracker. And Australia has stubbornly refused to commit to net zero by mid-century.
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