Targets to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions will require difficult trade-offs on the location of large renewable projects, experts warn.
Unveiling the long-awaited climate targets this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged emissions would be cut by at least 62 per cent and up to 70 per cent by 2035.
He described the commitment as responsible and “backed by a practical plan to get there”.
Environmental law expert Justine Bell-James said the transition to clean energy outlined by the government will require difficult decisions.
Solar, wind and hydro developments will always have an impact on local ecosystems, she warns, but unchecked global warming would have a much worse effect.
“It’s a really complex puzzle,” Professor Bell-James told AAP.
“You need to kind of zoom out and look at the big picture to make these sort of decisions.”
Prof Bell-James said the government’s plan to curb emissions was not enough to avoid catastrophic effects on Australia’s Pacific neighbours because it doesn’t slash carbon pollution rates fast enough, and doesn’t account for fossil fuel exports.
“We’re continuing to approve massive fossil fuel projects for exporting emissions overseas,” she said.
“It can be difficult to square these really high statements of ambition domestically with this continued export of fossil fuels.”
The climate targets roadmap also included a $5 billion carve-out from an existing fund for decarbonising heavy industry.
While pressure is being placed on large-emitting industries to step up efforts to reduce their carbon output, some sectors’ efforts to reach net zero would be difficult.
National Farmers’ Federation interim chief executive Su McCluskey said agriculture, a sizeable emitter of methane gas particularly, would not hit net zero in isolation.
“It’s encouraging to see our nation collectively striving for solutions with this 62-70 per cent range target,” she said.
“While the NFF supports an economy-wide aspiration of net zero by 2050, it cannot be net zero for agriculture.
“If we don’t get climate policy right, farming will only get harder.”
Agriculture contributes up to 20 per cent of Australian greenhouse gases, though Ms McCluskey said food and fibre security was also important to consider.
“Productive farmland should not be sacrificed to offset emissions from other industries,” she said.
Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean told the ABC on Friday that “the key thing out of the Paris Agreement is to make our best ambition in light of our national circumstances”.
“That’s why we did a bottom-up approach to show what is possible, asking every sector of the economy to do its bit based on the technologies available to us today,” he said.
“This is a conservative approach which means Australia should be able to deliver on what we promised.”
The 2035 targets were based on the independent authority’s final advice.