Australia Enshrines 43% Greenhouse Gas Reduction Aim In Law

Australia’s Parliament on Thursday enshrined in law the government’s elevated target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by the end of the decade.

The Senate passed legislation supporting the target in a vote of 37 to 30 even though several senators who supported it wanted a more ambitious 2030 target.

The center-left Labor Party government officially committed Australia to the 43% target after it came to power for the first time in nine years at May elections. But entrenching it in law has made it more difficult for any future government to reduce the target.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the Senate vote provided certainty to clean energy investors while strengthening transparency and accountability in Australia’s carbon reduction processes.

“The message to investors is that Australia is open for business,” Bowen told Parliament.

The conservative opposition party voted against the bill. The opposition has advocated since 2015 a target of reducing emissions by between 26% and 28%.

Independent senator David Pocock insisted on several amendments touching on transparency and accountability before he supported the bill.

These were soon passed by the House of Representatives, where the government holds a majority. The government holds only 26 of the 76 Senate seats.

Greens party senators supported the 43% ambition although their proposed amendments to increase the target to at least 75% and ban future Australian coal and gas projects were defeated.


Discover more from LN247

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Advertisement

Most Popular This Week

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More from Author

Advertisement

Read Now

FG Releases Additional N22bn For Retirees’ Accrued Pension Rights

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has disclosed that the Federal Government has disbursed an additional N22 billion for the payment of accrued pension rights to retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme. In an update shared on its Instagram page Tuesday night, PenCom revealed that the funds, released through...

World Bank Bans Two Nigerian Firms and CEO Over Corruption

The World Bank Group has announced a 30-month debarment of two Nigerian companies, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, as well as their Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Norman Didam, due to fraudulent, collusive, and corrupt practices associated with the National Social Safety Nets...

Telecom Subscribers Reject 50% Tariff Hike

The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) has threatened legal action against the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over its approval of a 50% tariff hike. The NCC had granted telecommunications companies (telcos) permission to increase tariffs by 50% on January 20, following requests from the Association of Licensed...

Discover more from LN247

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading