By Jon Philp, Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea
2020 has been an extraordinary year. It has tested all of our resolve to tackle global challenges.
But we can’t afford to allow COVID-19 to disrupt global climate action. In fact, climate action, like emissions reduction, can be a central part of the world’s economic recovery from COVID-19.
Australia is accelerating our practical action to drive down emissions and meet the targets we have set.
We are fully committed to ambitious global climate action, and our ambition goes far beyond our borders.
Targets are critical. But they must go hand in hand with practical action and a clear pathway to their achievement, or they risk becoming symbolic.
Australia, alongside many other countries, is pursuing technological innovation to reach net zero emissions as soon as possible.
Our newly announced Special Adviser to the Australian Government on Low Emissions Technologies, Dr Alan Finkel, will spearhead these efforts from 2021 onwards.
And, we remain a steadfast partner in supporting the Indo-Pacific region, particularly Pacific Island countries, to respond to climate change.
Australia’s climate record
Australia’s focus on the ‘how’ is working: we’re meeting and beating our emission reduction targets.
We beat our 2020 targets by 459 million tonnes—almost 90 per cent of a full year of Australia’s emissions.
We are resolutely committed to the Paris Agreement, and are on track to meet and beat our 2030 target, having reduced emissions by almost 17 per cent since 2005. And as announced by Prime Minister Morrison at the PIF High-Level Roundtable on 11 December, we are confident we won’t need to use carryover.
Our progress is as good as, if not better than, progress made around the globe. Average emissions across the G20 as a whole actually increased over the same period.
Australia is also building and investing in renewables at record levels. We expect renewables will contribute to 27 per cent of our electricity this year, growing to 50 per cent by 2030.
Last year, Australia deployed new renewable energy ten times faster per capita than the global average. One in four Australian homes have solar—the highest uptake in the world.
Using technology to achieve lower emissions
Australia believes the answer lies in technology. The Australian Government has launched a Technology Roadmap to accelerate uptake of low-emissions technologies across our economy.
Our experience shows that, once these technologies are cost-competitive or cheaper than higher emissions alternatives, business and households rapidly adopt them.
The Australian Government is investing $18 billion in low-emissions technologies over the next decade. This includes boosting the use of hydrogen, electric and bio-fuelled vehicles and piloting carbon capture and storage projects that can dramatically cut emissions.
Creating strong global partnerships
Getting these technologies right can significantly reduce emissions across sectors that account for
90 per cent of global emissions. But this will only work with global collaboration.
We are building partnerships with countries like Japan, Singapore, Germany and Republic of Korea to make low emissions technologies scalable and commercially viable.
We also need technology-led practical solutions for developing countries that will not impede their development. Technologies like hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, battery storage, green steel and aluminium and soil carbon, will help countries grow and create jobs, even as they reduce their emissions.
Building climate resilience both at home and internationally
But it’s not enough to just focus on reducing emissions. The world is already dealing with the effects of climate change. Australia suffered devastating bushfires during our Black Summer over 2019-20, just as PNG’s Carteret Islands face ongoing coastal erosion and water security issues.
Our scientists tell us that, even with the most ambitious global emissions reductions, we will continue to experience climate impacts like these over the coming decades.
So Australia is also building climate resilience both at home and internationally.
We are establishing a National Resilience, Relief and Recovery Agency to coordinate adaptation and resilience efforts across all sectors of our economy. We are bringing together the expertise of our world-leading scientific organisations in a new climate and disaster risk information service, ensuring our efforts are informed by the best available evidence.
And to support others around the world, at the PIF High-Level Roundtable in December, Prime Minister Morrison announced Australia’s new global climate finance pledge of at least $1.5 billion over the period 2020 to 2025. This includes a $500 million investment in the Pacific to support renewable energy deployment and climate and disaster resilience.
This is a 50 per cent increase on Australia’s previous pledge, reflecting our steadfast commitment to help our Indo-Pacific neighbours respond and adapt to a changing climate.
Emissions don't have accents. They don't have nationalities and they don't carry passports. Climate change doesn't differentiate where the emissions come from. We are all dealing with the impacts—in Australia, in PNG and everywhere else in the world.
Australia’s track record on reducing emissions speaks for itself. But there is still much more work to be done. Australia is committed to practical action to achieve net zero emissions.
Working together for a sustainable future
In the wake of COVID-19, we must all grow our economies again. Our economies’ growth will depend on low cost, affordable, reliable energy. For this to be sustainable, we will need global cooperation and partnerships to develop low emissions technology that are scalable and commercially viable. Together, we can make this happen.
2020 has been an extraordinary year. It has tested all of our resolve to tackle global challenges.
But we can’t afford to allow COVID-19 to disrupt global climate action. In fact, climate action, like emissions reduction, can be a central part of the world’s economic recovery from COVID-19.
Australia is accelerating our practical action to drive down emissions and meet the targets we have set.
We are fully committed to ambitious global climate action, and our ambition goes far beyond our borders.
Targets are critical. But they must go hand in hand with practical action and a clear pathway to their achievement, or they risk becoming symbolic.
Australia, alongside many other countries, is pursuing technological innovation to reach net zero emissions as soon as possible.
Our newly announced Special Adviser to the Australian Government on Low Emissions Technologies, Dr Alan Finkel, will spearhead these efforts from 2021 onwards.
And, we remain a steadfast partner in supporting the Indo-Pacific region, particularly Pacific Island countries, to respond to climate change.
Australia’s climate record
Australia’s focus on the ‘how’ is working: we’re meeting and beating our emission reduction targets.
We beat our 2020 targets by 459 million tonnes—almost 90 per cent of a full year of Australia’s emissions.
We are resolutely committed to the Paris Agreement, and are on track to meet and beat our 2030 target, having reduced emissions by almost 17 per cent since 2005. And as announced by Prime Minister Morrison at the PIF High-Level Roundtable on 11 December, we are confident we won’t need to use carryover.
Our progress is as good as, if not better than, progress made around the globe. Average emissions across the G20 as a whole actually increased over the same period.
Australia is also building and investing in renewables at record levels. We expect renewables will contribute to 27 per cent of our electricity this year, growing to 50 per cent by 2030.
Last year, Australia deployed new renewable energy ten times faster per capita than the global average. One in four Australian homes have solar—the highest uptake in the world.
Using technology to achieve lower emissions
Australia believes the answer lies in technology. The Australian Government has launched a Technology Roadmap to accelerate uptake of low-emissions technologies across our economy.
Our experience shows that, once these technologies are cost-competitive or cheaper than higher emissions alternatives, business and households rapidly adopt them.
The Australian Government is investing $18 billion in low-emissions technologies over the next decade. This includes boosting the use of hydrogen, electric and bio-fuelled vehicles and piloting carbon capture and storage projects that can dramatically cut emissions.
Creating strong global partnerships
Getting these technologies right can significantly reduce emissions across sectors that account for
90 per cent of global emissions. But this will only work with global collaboration.
We are building partnerships with countries like Japan, Singapore, Germany and Republic of Korea to make low emissions technologies scalable and commercially viable.
We also need technology-led practical solutions for developing countries that will not impede their development. Technologies like hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, battery storage, green steel and aluminium and soil carbon, will help countries grow and create jobs, even as they reduce their emissions.
Building climate resilience both at home and internationally
But it’s not enough to just focus on reducing emissions. The world is already dealing with the effects of climate change. Australia suffered devastating bushfires during our Black Summer over 2019-20, just as PNG’s Carteret Islands face ongoing coastal erosion and water security issues.
Our scientists tell us that, even with the most ambitious global emissions reductions, we will continue to experience climate impacts like these over the coming decades.
So Australia is also building climate resilience both at home and internationally.
We are establishing a National Resilience, Relief and Recovery Agency to coordinate adaptation and resilience efforts across all sectors of our economy. We are bringing together the expertise of our world-leading scientific organisations in a new climate and disaster risk information service, ensuring our efforts are informed by the best available evidence.
And to support others around the world, at the PIF High-Level Roundtable in December, Prime Minister Morrison announced Australia’s new global climate finance pledge of at least $1.5 billion over the period 2020 to 2025. This includes a $500 million investment in the Pacific to support renewable energy deployment and climate and disaster resilience.
This is a 50 per cent increase on Australia’s previous pledge, reflecting our steadfast commitment to help our Indo-Pacific neighbours respond and adapt to a changing climate.
Emissions don't have accents. They don't have nationalities and they don't carry passports. Climate change doesn't differentiate where the emissions come from. We are all dealing with the impacts—in Australia, in PNG and everywhere else in the world.
Australia’s track record on reducing emissions speaks for itself. But there is still much more work to be done. Australia is committed to practical action to achieve net zero emissions.
Working together for a sustainable future
In the wake of COVID-19, we must all grow our economies again. Our economies’ growth will depend on low cost, affordable, reliable energy. For this to be sustainable, we will need global cooperation and partnerships to develop low emissions technology that are scalable and commercially viable. Together, we can make this happen.