The Abbott-Turnbull- Morrison Coalition Government's approach to creative accounting in national climate change ledgers has been receiving some attention since the Prime Minister's attendance at UN COP26

 

The Saturday Paper, Post, 9 November 2021:

Multiple investigations indicate Australia is significantly underreporting its emissions, as COP26 organisers ramp up pressure on the nation to strengthen its 2030 emissions target.

What we know:

• Australia is among of a host of countries systematically underreporting emissions to the UN, including the removal of substantial emissions from megafires fanned by climate change (The Washington Post); 

• Separate analysis of satellite imagery of land clearing indicates Australia is also probably understating emissions from deforestation (The Guardian); 

• Resources Minister Keith Pitt made international headlines for his promise that Australia will continue exporting coal “for decades to come” (France 24); 

• Analysis by Global Witness finds there “there are more delegates at COP26 associated with the fossil fuel industry than from any single country” (BBC); 

• COP26 organisers are working out a plan to pressure countries like Australia that have not strengthened their 2030 targets at the summit to do so in 2022 (The Guardian); 

• The Morrison government has unveiled a plan to partner with the private sector to fund 50,000 electric vehicle charging stations (ABC); 

• Industry groups criticised the electric vehicle plan for failing to include subsidies, tax incentives, sales targets or minimum fuel emission standards.