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Aussie climate change authority splits over gov't attitude to global warming

Xinhua, September 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

The board of Australia's Climate Change Authority (CCA) has split over the government's commitment to combating climate change, and two members have on Monday launched an independent report calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to do more.

David Karoly, a leading climate scientist, and Clive Hamilton, an economist, have said Australia must do its fair share to combat the issue, and launched an independent report slamming the government's disappointing carbon reduction goals.

They have also accused their colleagues of spreading "untrue and dangerous" advice about the level of commitment needed for Australia to do its fair share.

"Australia is the highest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases of all countries in the world," Karoly told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday.

"Therefore Australia should be doing more, because it is contributing more to climate change growth, to global warming around the world.

"The target that is being used is the current Government targets, which are only 26 to 28 per cent emission reductions by 2030, but in fact that means that Australia would not be contributing its fair share to global action."

The report has prompted Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg to refute Karoly's claims that Australia must do more to combat global warming.

Frydenberg, the minister charged with dealing with climate change issues, said the "vast majority" of the CCA's board were happy with Australia's contribution.

"Two people on that board have had a different view, but the vast majority of those board members have signed on to the report which was submitted by the government and announced last week," Frydenberg told the ABC.

"When Australia ratifies this agreement and you'll see significant changes that are underway in the economy, we will be seeing more broadly it has been very successful in reducing our emissions."

The coalition government has previously come under fire for its conservative approach to climate change; when Turnbull reshuffled his front bench in July, he removed the position of Environment Minister and merged it with the existing resources and energy portfolios. Endit