CAT has analysed New Zealand’s recently announced climate target of 11% reduction in emissions below 1990 levels by 2030.
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott says Australia will set a target it can achieve.
The report, Halfway to Paris: How the world is tracking on Climate Change, shows Australia is one of the largest emitters per capita and the 13th largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, ahead of 182 other countries.
Mr Abbott maintains Australia will meet or beat its 2020 target of five per cent reduction on 2000 levels.
The Government says this is a significant increase on current targets but it is still only 11 percent below 1990 levels, which is a more commonly used date for calibration.
Climate Action Tracker co-ordinates the findings of four independent European research organisations: Climate Analytics, Ecofys, NewClimate Institute and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
Labour climate spokeswoman Megan Woods cited the research and said the government is tarnishing New Zealand’s reputation as a green country.
“Unusually, New Zealand’s INDC is stated as being provisional pending confirmation in or after Paris of the accounting rules for the land sector and access to carbon markets”, said Marcia Rocha from Climate Analytics.
This would lead to oceans acidifying, coral reefs dissolving, sea levels rising rapidly, and more than 40 percent species extinction, they said today.
“It has taken little or no action on climate change since 2008 – except for watering down its ETS [emissions trading scheme], and we can find no evidence of any policies that would change this”.
“The world is stepping up on climate change and countries that were laggards like China are dramatically changing their stance to address climate change”, Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie said.
The New Zealand pledge will be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“This analysis from Climate Action Tracker shows that New Zealand’s target is well below what is needed to stop risky climate change, said Peter Hardstaff, WWF Head of Campaigns”.
Emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from livestock are around half of national emissions.
“New Zealand’s “inadequate” rating indicates that its commitment is not in line with any interpretations of a “fair” approach” to limiting global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, said Hare.
“However, I’m optimistic about the future – our investment in agricultural research is beginning to bear fruit, and the cost of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles continues to fall”.
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The New Zealand target was also inconsistent with a non-binding target to cut emissions to 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 and would require a commitment to cut emissions by 30 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
