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.

Tracking Australian Ministers and Australian pledges at COP29

Chris Bowen at COP29 Photo: Scott Hamilton

This is a subpage of Australia at COP29 Climate Diary and will be updated throughout the conference.

Australia will be represented at the ministerial level at COP29 by Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen.

This year a key focus of the UN Climate Conference is Climate Finance, and development of The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG). 

| Pledges | Chris Bowen |

Chris Bowen delivers Australia's national climate statement at COP29 in Baku

Australia's Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen delivered Australia's national climate statement to COP29 in the High Level Segment Plenary (Resumed).

Not a bad statement on some of the changes being made in energy transition and economic transition associated with decarbonisation by Australia, but it is in what was not said that is important. 

• The continued approval of new coal and gas projects primarily for the export market. Scope 3 emissions are not included in Australia's greenhouse gas inventory
• The Safeguard Mechanism to reduce emissions of the largest polluters is built upon carbon offsets, which have integrity issues.
• Australia's carbon accounting is highly reliant on Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) which indicates that there has been minimal reductions in many sectors other than the electricity sector. 
• Australia has not addressed Fossil Fuel Tax subsidies currently running at about $14 billion per year
• Australia signed the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) at COP28 and had a year to implement its commitment. This partnership was established in Glasgow at COP26. CETP pledges cover Development Finance institutions and export credit agencies. Australia must unveil its CETP implementation plan (Jubilee Australia)

Don't get me wrong. Setting a 2030 target of 43 percent reduction on 2005 levels was important, as was the target of 82 per cent renewables by 2030. The Made in Australia program and funding is as important as the Inflation Reduction Act in the US for unlocking economic decarbonistion and transformation.

Australia is increasing climate finance, but at a trickle and very far from our fair share as a developed country. In this speech Bowen announced a much welcomed $50 million to the Loss and Damage Fund. And most of Australia's climate finance is in the form of grant funding which is the most effective and doesn't burden developing nations feeling the impact of climate change with more debt. 

The Action Aid report Seizing the Moment: A new Climate Finance Goal that delivers for the Pacific communicates civil society’s expectations of the Australian and New Zealand Governments when negotiating the new global climate finance goal at the UN Climate Conference in November 2024.  "Australia and New Zealand’s climate finance contributions are falling short of need. Australia’s commitment to provide AUD 3 billion over 2020-2025 is well short of its estimated fair share of the USD 100 billion goal, which is AUD 4 billion per year. Both countries have redirected substantial portions of their climate finance from existing aid budgets, undermining climate and development action across the region." (Action Aid)

And don't get me started on the fantasy nuclear plan by Peter Dutton and the Liberal and National Parties. This would come at huge public expense, and increase in electricity costs, a huge delay of 15-20 years, and would require coal and gas continue in the grid well past 2050. It is not a solution but a distraction and a delay. Bowen understands Nuclear should have no role in Australia.

Chris Bowen as the co-chair with Egypt of finance discussions will be very busy in the final days of COP trying to broker a deal on the new climate finance target and the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) (See this explainer)

COP29 UN Secretary-General António Guterres Calls for emergency emmissions reduction, climate adaptation and more climate finance

In his opening speech to UN Climate Conference COP29 Antonio Guterres called for focus on three priorities.

• Emergency emissions reductions, including submitting new national climate plans
• Countries must do more to protect your people from the ravages of the climate crisis.
• Address the priority of climate finance

Here is is speech:

Second Trump Presidency of climate denial will challenge global climate action response

Donald Trump has won the US presidency for a second non-consecutive term. Plus Republicans have also won control of the Senate. Counting is still under way for the House of Representatives but it is likely the Republicans may have a majority.  The Supreme Court has a 6:3 conservative majority. With few checks and balances a Trump administration will have free reign. 

Is this bad? Yes. According to the Guardian, "The impact of Donald Trump enacting the climate policies of the rightwing Project 2025 would result in billions of tonnes of extra carbon pollution, wrecking the US’s climate targets, as well as wiping out clean energy investments and more than a million jobs, a new analysis finds."

Read more: Berkeley Law have published A Guide to the Major Climate and Environmental Excerpts in the Project 2025 Report. 

Montreal Protocol continues to deliver on ozone reduction and climate

Source IISD/ENB 28 Oct 2024

A very detailed summary account on the international meeting addressing Ozone Depleting substances with the Vienna Convention, and Montreal Protocol. This is unlikely to make mainstream news, but provides important climate outcomes, and demonstrates the international treaty system when it is operating effectively. This is the little climate treaty that keeps on mostly delivering outcomes.

Thanks to the IISD/Earth Negotiations Bulletin who report on all the international negotiations, providing transparency.

The 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (COP13) and 36th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP36) ocurred 27 October – 1 November 2024 in Bangkok.

"Despite a few small setbacks and some late nights, delegates agreed that COP13/MOP36 was a resounding success. Parties managed to address a record number of agenda items in the most contact groups ever established, and adopted important decisions to keep the Convention and Protocol strong and successful.

Australia at Biological Diversity COP16 in Columbia

UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP16 meets from October 20 - 27 in Cali, Columbia. This is a Live article actively updated during October.

Participants will review the state of implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including through alignment with national biodiversity strategies and action plans as well as resource mobilization. At the previous summit, COP15, which was held in Montreal in December 2022, countries agreed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The GBF is a set of four goals to 2050 and 23 targets to 2030 with the overarching mission of reversing the decline of biodiversity around the world by 2030. (Read the goals and targets here: The Montreal Moment for Biodiversity: Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted)

Australia submitted its 6th national report to the CBD in 2020, and is due this year to submit a new national report.

COP16 Meeting documents | Carbon Brief INtereactive: who wants what | DCCEEW on CBD
CBD Youtube | CBD-Live Youtube |  IISD Earth Negotiation Bulletin on COP16

State of Australian Climate 2024 paints a worsening picture: 13 graphs and maps

 

Australia's climate is worsening, driven by accelerating climate change, according to the latest assessment by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO. 

Buckle up people. Expect longer, more intense extreme heat events. Heat events kill more people than all other extreme weather events combined. 

Australia has now warmed by 1.51 degrees Centigrade.

South West Australia and South East Australia will get drier. But when it rains, heavy short term rain events are becoming more intense. That means more flash flooding. It also has iimplications for agriculture.

The hotter, drier climate means longer fire season, a more extreme fire season. We are seeing more pyrocumulonimbus (Pyro CB) fires when a bushfire starts generating its own weather firestorm. Larger fires mean more smoke that can travel for hundreds even thousands of kilometres with the air pollution particulates affecting people in distant towns and cities. More people are dying from smoke related conditions.

CHOGM meeting in Samoa: new report highlights Australia, Canada, UK role in fossil fuel emissions

This page discusses CHOGM 2024 and climate change and the outcomes.

A New report launched at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa reveals the stark imbalance in fossil fuel extraction across the Commonwealth and highlights the dominance of three wealthy nations—Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom—in driving fossil fuel expansion and emissions. 

The report Uncommon Wealth: Fossil Fuel Expansion in the Commonwealth Dominated by Three Wealthy Countries - was commissioned by the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative and based on data from the Global Registry of Fossil Fuels. 

It shows that despite representing only 6% of the Commonwealth’s population, Australia, Canada, and the UK are responsible for over 60% of emissions generated from extraction across Commonwealth countries since 1990.

Outcomes: Samoa Communique | Ocean Declaration | 
King Charles on Climate Action | CANi & PICAN Briefing Note |
Australia: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese | Foreign Minister Penny Wong

King Selling Australian Gas expansion in Japan while Prime Minister pacifies Island Nations facing Sea Level Rise existential threat

Minister King in Japan spruiking gas. Source: X

Currently the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is ocurring in Apia Samoa with Australia being called upon by numerous Island nation leaders and ministers to stop approving new fossil fuel projects and to start phasing out fossil fuels. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are there to rebutt and pacify the pointed diplomatic attacks.

Meanwhile Minister for Energy and Resources Madeleine King is in Japan talking up and selling Australian gas expansion and repeating some lies such as Australian gas is needed to keep the lights on.