Despite the Coalition government’s climate change target, Australia is still a long way off from being on the Paris Agreement compliant track. Labor’s 2030 target is closer to the Paris target of 2C. Meanwhile, the Greens and teal independents have set 2030 targets closer to the more ambitious 1.5C target. The Coalition government’s target would have put Australia on a much less aggressive track.
Australia
The new government is determined to get Australia on track to meet its climate targets. The recent election has seen a dramatic shift in Australia’s political climate. The former prime minister, Scott Morrison, was toppled from his position as prime minister after four years and a contest that revolved around the issue of climate change. According to Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie, the new government is attempting to improve Australia’s dismal track record on carbon emissions.
Although Shorten’s policies are not as ambitious, the new government is unlikely to abandon Australia’s climate targets. As long as it keeps its emissions to 2020 levels or below, Australia will be able to stick to its climate targets. The new government will have the challenge of ensuring that the emissions reductions it makes will be accelerated to the 2030 levels required by law.
U.S.
The Obama administration has made clear that it is committed to the Paris Agreement, and has consulted important and diverse stakeholders. This includes scientists, businesses, schools, and governmental leaders. The goal is to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other pollutants. The administration’s plan outlines multiple pathways across different economic sectors to meet these goals.
Vice President Biden has made climate change a central theme of his administration, and is implementing a range of executive actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On Wednesday, he signed an executive order that sets out specific measures and deadlines for the government to meet its goals. This executive order also lays the groundwork for the government’s long-term sustainability plan.
India
The new government of India has announced ambitious climate targets. By 2030, the country aims to produce 50% of its energy from renewable sources, up from 40% in 2014. It has already pledged to use less fossil fuels. It has also pledged to support the federal government’s Green New Deal program, which aims to encourage people to adopt eco-friendly lifestyles. According to the climate action network in South Asia, the new government’s commitment to climate targets is more ambitious than the previous government.
Although India has a massive population, it emits much less CO2 per head than other major world economies. The country emitted only 1.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person in 2019, compared to 12.5 tonnes in the US and Russia. In a press statement, India’s new government announced five climate commitments that include a target to generate 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The country also committed to reduce its carbon intensity to 45 percent of its GDP by 2030.
New Zealand
The new government has endorsed a revised pledge to cut its carbon emissions by 50 percent by the end of the decade, known as the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). New Zealand’s actual emissions in 2010 were 701 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and the new government’s carbon budget for the 2020s is 675 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
The new government’s focus on climate change has also led to an increased focus on social and environmental issues. It has approved a new climate change law that requires financial entities with assets of more than NZD 700 million to report on their climate risk. This law will take effect in October 2021.
California
Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing California to set more aggressive climate targets, claiming that doing so is necessary to combat climate change. He’s asking the state Legislature to increase its 2030 greenhouse gas reduction goal from 50% to 55%, implement new rules to regulate carbon removal, and ban new oil drilling near communities. Although climate change is an important issue to California, Newsom is not as passionate about it as his predecessor, and he’s using it as a political tool to boost his environmental street cred.
California’s bill will require new oil and gas wells to have setbacks, and it will also require old wells to take precautionary measures to protect the health of residents. This legislation comes as the state is already experiencing the negative impacts of climate change, with higher temperatures, prolonged drought, and wildfires threatening the state’s power grid. Environmentalists applaud the measures, but criticize Governor Newsom for not moving faster to phase out fossil fuels.
New York City
While the federal government is unwilling to commit to climate change goals, there’s a chance that New York City and the state of New York will get an infusion of funds to meet their goals. Inflation Reduction Act, the largest federal action on climate change, includes a $433 billion package. The city, state, and federal government are poised to take advantage of this money.
The city’s goal is to get to net zero, or zero emissions, by 2050. This will require a combination of reducing emissions in the city and purchasing offsets from other countries. New York can obtain offsets from forestry and agriculture, which can give the city an income stream while encouraging good practices. However, other cities have had negative experiences with offsets.
