The Government is way off the mark and off-message when it comes to meeting the Paris target, new analysis from The Australia Institute shows.

The new report debunks the government’s claims that Australia will meet the Paris target ‘in a canter’, demonstrating total emissions have been increasing since 2014 and without major policy measures or special international deals Australia will fall drastically short of the mark. 

“The Government will need to announce serious emissions reduction policies if it is to have any hope of reaching the Paris target. Without those policies it will have no credibility and is simply paying lip service to climate change,” said Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist at The Australia Institute and report author.

“The Government seems disconnected from its own Department of Environment, which maintains Australia’s total emissions have increased over the last four years and that trend is continuing. Our analysis shows emissions will keep climbing until we miss our target by 128 million tonnes.”

“Australia has lucked out in the past, benefiting from special international deals to meet its two Kyoto targets. Those deals are not available under the Paris Agreement,” said Richie Merzian, Director of The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program.

“If Minister Price attends the UN climate conference in December 2018, she will struggle in front of a world audience to defend the government’s claims that it will meet its Paris target ‘in a canter.’

“When it comes to Australia’s emissions, the horse has bolted out of the gate, just in the opposite direction to Paris.”