Australian Targets

Thursday, November 21, 2024

CCPI: Australia goes backwards two places in Climate Change Performance in 2025 report


This year Australia moved backwards two places in the annual Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). The national experts cited the still substantial fossil fuel subsidies and policies to incvrease Fossil Fuel production.

The report lists 3 key outcomes:

  • Australia drops two ranks in the current CCPI, to 52nd and among the low-performing countries
  • Fossil fuel subsidies have declined and been redirected to other industries. However, some major fossil fuel subsidies remain.
  • Key demands: stop approving and signalling support for the expansion of fossil fuel production

The National Experts explained:

Australia dropped to 52nd and among the low-performing countries. It receives a medium rating in GHG Emissions, low in Renewable Energy and Climate Policy, and very low in Energy Use.

Australia’s 2030 national target is to reduce GHG emissions by 43% from 2005 levels. The country plans to achieve net zero by 2050. The CCPI national experts welcome these targets and Australia is now nearly on track to achieve its 2030 emissions reduction target.

The experts further note that since the election of the current government in mid-2022, fossil fuel subsidies have declined and been redirected to other industries.  However, some major fossil fuel subsidies remain, including the Fuel Tax Credit scheme which subsidies the fuel taxes paid by a range of sectors, including fossil fuel mining. Australia is among the 10 countries with the largest developed coal and gas reserves, and is currently planning to increase its production.

In 2023 for the 2024 CCPI Report Australia improved 5 places to the low category in the 2024 Climate Change performance Index. This is a reflection of Labor's policies being implemented: a 2030 climate target, engaging on climate policy, and a slow but important ramping up renewables.

Previously, for two years in succession Australia had improved its total ranking in the Climate Change Performance index. In 2022 it jumped 4 places and in 2023 jumped another 5 places. This placed Australia at 50th ranking of 67 countries assessed, in the Low overall rating..

In 2022 for the  2023 CCPI report Australia still ranked very low, but was starting to improve in some categories.

In 2021 for the 2022 CCPI report Australia was listed way down the bottom on greenhouse gas emissions, renewables, energy use and very last (64th) on climate policy. We ranked 58th overall. Changing to the Labor Government in May 2022 has improved our rankings the last two years and is likely to improve the rating again for 2025. The report makes clear that Stopping new fossil fuel projects and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies as part of phasing out fossil fuels would bring substantial improvement in the rating.

In 2018 Australia was ranked 55 out of 60 countries in the Climate Change Performance Index published in December 2018 during COP24 UN Climate Conference in Katowice, Poland.

References

Australia Profile at CCPI, https://ccpi.org/country/aus/ 

Livestream: CCPI Press Conference 2025, 20 November 2024, https://ccpi.org/ccpi-press-conference-2025/

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