Welcome to the October 2019 issue of The Australia Institute’s National Energy Emissions Audit (the Emissions Audit).The Emissions Audit tracks Australia’s emissions of greenhouse gases from the combustion of fossil fuels every quarter; this issue contains data up to the end of June 2018. The Emissions Audit will therefore give readers the most up to date possible advice on how Australia is tracking towards meeting its emissions reduction commitment under the Paris Agreement. Fossil fuel combustion accounts for the majority of Australia’s emissions – 72 per cent in the most recent National Greenhouse Gas Inventory for financial year 2015-16. Fossil fuel combustion emissions also account for most of the year-on-year change in Australia’s emissions.

The National Energy Emissions Audit is usually published on a quarterly basis, in September, December, March and June each year, with data to the end of the preceding quarter, though this quarter the report has been delayed by one month. Each month the Electricity Update of the Emissions Audit is produced, reporting on changes to emissions from electricity generation in the National Electricity Market (NEM), and including commentary on other issues relating to the extraordinarily dramatic changes happening in Australia’s electricity supply system. On overlapping months, the Electricity Update and Emissions Audit are combined.

All emissions data are reported as annual moving averages. This approach removes the impact on the reported data of seasonal changes, which particularly influence electricity and gas consumption. Annualised data will show a month on month increase if the most recent monthly quantity is greater than the quantity in the corresponding month one year previously. Most data are presented in the form of time series graphs, starting in December 2012, i.e. with the year ending December 2012.