Source: Global Times
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on the 26th, before flying to Glasgow, England to participate in the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties (COP26) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Australian Prime Minister Morrison announced a government plan, promising to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, that is, the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere is the same or more than its emissions. Australia's "belated" promise has sparked questions and criticism from the media and professionals. Australia's opposition Labour Party has accused Morrison's plan of being a "hoax" and lacking a practical solution. The BBC said Australia had long been "dragging its feet" on climate action, with growing differences with its allies such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
Morrison Infographic
According to ABC, Morrison declared in a statement on the 26th: "Australia's action to deal with climate change is more than eloquent." Our plan is a fair one, a practical plan, and a responsible plan that supports the net zero emissions target by 2050. Morrison stressed that achieving this goal will not pose a risk to Australian industry, the regional economy or employment, nor does it mean ending the production or export of fossil fuels or increasing energy costs. Morrison also mentioned that the Australian government will not formally update the current official short-term target of reducing emissions by 26% to 28% from 2005 levels by 2030, but he personally expects this figure to reach 35%. In addition, the net zero emission target will not be presented in legal form.
According to the Australian SBS TV, it is worth noting that although the planned goals of the climate policy were announced, the Australian government refused to release the forecast model and details that support the realization of the plan, and Morrison only said that "it will be announced later". In response, Labour blamed the Morrison government, saying the plan was just a "hoax" to cater to the current "climate change climate". Labour leader Albanes said Morrison's "plan" did not have any meaning of planning, "everything about the prime minister is just marketing". Shadow Cabinet Energy Minister Bowen said: "What we see today is only slides, slogans, not solutions. ”
Some experts have raised similar questions, arguing that Morrison's "plan" does not provide details on how to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. According to CNN reported on the 26th, Joe Fontaine, a lecturer in ecology at Murdoch University in Australia, believes that the Australian government's policy is "at best a wet paper bag (fragile and vulnerable)" and that "taking such an empty policy to Glasgow will only further solidify Australia's reputation as a laggard and a liar on climate change issues." Bill Hale, chief executive of climate analysis, a nonprofit science-policy research institute, believes there is "absolutely no way" for the Australian government's plans to help the country reach its 2050 net-zero emissions target. "The so-called technology route in the plan, as far as we know, relies heavily on carbon capture and storage and other methods, which have proven to be unworkable. So at this stage, frankly, I think it's almost a scam. ”
In addition to the void of the 2050 net zero emissions plan, Morrison's other major "slot" is that it has not made new commitments to the 2030 emission reduction target. The Guardian said morrison's new plan for 2030 emissions reduction targets were exactly the same as those of the Abbott government six years ago, without any progress, and "Australia is far less determined than other countries" on climate issues. CNN said Australia's emission reduction commitments are among the weakest of all G20 countries, and allies such as the United Kingdom and the United States have called on it to increase its emission reduction commitments and move closer to the goal of reducing emissions by 50% from 2005. The BBC described Australia's carbon emissions status as "one of the most criticized polluters in the world" on the 26th, saying that Australia has long been "lagging behind" in climate action, and its differences with allies such as the United States and the United Kingdom are getting bigger.
Morrison does not endorse accusations that he neglects to tackle climate change. According to the Guardian, Morrison argued in a statement on the 26th that Australia's current national carbon emissions have been reduced by about 20% compared with 2005, which is much better than the performance of countries such as Canada and New Zealand. But the Guardian found that the claim that Australia's carbon emissions have been reduced by 20 per cent since 2005 is "misleading". If land-use changes are excluded from the data, Australia's carbon emissions increased from 524.5 million tonnes in 2005 to 553.3 million tonnes, an actual increase of 1.7 per cent.
Australia is widely seen as a laggard in tackling climate change: one of the world's largest exporters of coal and natural gas, it has long refused to set carbon neutral targets. MacKenzie, chief executive of the Climate Committee, an Australian think tank, said in an interview with the BBC that the wildfires, floods and droughts that Australia has suffered in recent years are all direct consequences of climate change. The Washington Post said that Now Morrison ignores international calls and refuses to make further commitments to 2030, which will continue to leave Australia in an isolated situation.