{"id":133871,"date":"2021-10-20T17:10:40","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T06:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.climatecouncil.org.au\/?post_type=resource&p=133871"},"modified":"2021-10-20T17:10:41","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T06:10:41","slug":"cop26-myth-bust","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.climatecouncil.org.au\/resources\/cop26-myth-bust\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t let the Australian Government #COPOut on climate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the 26th Conference of the Parties<\/a> (COP26) approaches, there\u2019s going to be a lot of chat about emissions, targets and what different countries are doing to combat climate change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, Australia is doing very little. Our emission reduction targets are woefully inadequate and while our allies and trading partners are embracing a renewable energy future, our Federal Government is clinging to a fossil fuel past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get a few things straight first: climate change is accelerating, and we\u2019re already experiencing the impacts. The science is clear, we need to focus on rapidly lowering emissions this decade.<\/em> The Climate Council recommends that Australia cuts its emissions by 75% (below 2005 levels) by 2030 and reaches net zero by 2035.<\/a> As a first step, Australia should at least match the commitments of comparable countries – to halve emissions this decade – ahead of Glasgow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

COP26 is an opportunity to focus on what\u2019s required to keep us all safe from worsening climate impacts, and tell the Federal Government it\u2019s time to step up and start leading on climate action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t let the Government use clever turns of phrase and obscure statistics to #COPOut of climate action. So we\u2019ve made this cheat sheet to help you cut through the spin.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What about China?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

China is the world\u2019s largest emitter, but it is taking climate action. Renewables are growing at a faster rate than coal in China, and the coal pipeline in China has shrunk dramatically since the Paris Agreement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coal capacity increased in China in 2020, but at the Leaders Summit on Climate convened by US President Joe Biden in April 2021, Chinese President Xi announced that China will strictly control its coal growth until 2025 and then phase down coal consumption during the 15th five year plan. China also recently announced that it will stop financing and building coal-fired power stations overseas, following similar pledges from Japan and South Korea earlier this year. That almost completely ends international finance for coal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China is already the world\u2019s largest investor, producer and consumer of renewable energy. Its existing shift towards renewables has been a key factor behind the rapid decline in the cost of solar and wind technologies over the last decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China has also strengthened its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement, including a commitment to peak its emissions before 2030. It has committed to achieving net zero emissions (before 2060).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a significantly stronger commitment than anything China has previously made and the latest commitments are also unconditional, which is a big deal for a developing country that is home to more than 1.4 billion people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

China, like almost all countries, is going to need to do much more over the coming years. But the best way for Australia to encourage greater global action is to get our own house in order, start driving down our own emissions, and start unlocking our potential as a major exporter of clean energy. And right now we’re doing exactly the opposite; in fact, when you divvy up China’s emissions per person it is less than half of Australia’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n