Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions are at their lowest level in more than 25 years, according to a report from the Department of Industry, Energy, Science and Resources.
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor said the Department’s report, Quarterly Update of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: September 2020, showed that in the year to September 2020, emissions were 510.1 million tonnes, 4.4 per cent or 23.3 million tonnes lower than in 2019.
“This is the lowest level since 1995,” Mr Taylor said.
“Australia’s emissions are now 19.0 per cent below 2005 levels (the baseline year for our 2030 Paris Agreement target),” he said.
“These results reflect significant long-term structural declines in emissions from the electricity and agriculture sectors, and a temporary decline in emissions from agriculture (due to the drought) and transport (due to coronavirus restrictions).”
Mr Taylor said that in the year to December 2020, emissions in the National Electricity Market fell 5.6 per cent to a new record low.
“The continuing structural decline in emissions from electricity is driven by Australia’s world leading deployment of solar and wind,” the Minister said.
“We are continuing to deploy new solar and wind 10 times faster than the global per person average,” he said.
The Department’s 63-page Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
