In an address to the National Press Club in November 2015, the ever-cocky Greg Hunt informed us that Australia had already met its 2020 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent from 2000 levels.
“Critics have claimed time and time again that we would not achieve our 2020 target … Today, I can advise formally that the critics are wrong.”
Yet the Greenhouse Gas Inventory released on Friday paints a very different picture.
It shows that “Australia’s emissions for the year to March 2018 were 1.9 per cent below emissions in 2000.” That is a long way from the 5% reduction we committed to.
It also shows that “Emissions for the year to March 2018 increased 1.3 per cent” continuing the rising trend ever since they dumped carbon pricing.
Scott Morrison has recently assured us that Australia would meet its 26-percent emissions reduction target by 2030 “in a canter“. He is offering absolutely no proof of how and no policy to achieve it. Apparently, it will just happen of its own accord due to “improved technology.”
The only area where emissions are falling is the energy sector due to the influx of renewables prompted by the Renewable Energy Target. But, as with carbon pricing, the government will abandon this policy even though it has been shown to promote investment and actually achieve reduction.
The measure of our current emissions is extremely dubious as we are claiming significant reductions from a decrease in land-clearing, or should I say, we are claiming reductions for not clearing land that we maybe might have perhaps kinda could have cleared.
It is unconscionable that our politicians continue to lie about the real state of our emissions and our blatant failure to achieve even the paltry commitments we made to reduce them.
You say you are on our side Scott, but your misrepresentations show you have scant regard for our well-being or our intelligence.
If you want to rebuild trust, start by telling the truth.
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