Environmental Sustainability (Concepts)

Question 1

What are Australia’s emissions reduction targets?

Answer 1

43% reduction from 2005 levels by 2030

Net zero by 2050

Question 2

What are the details of the Paris Agreement?

Answer 2

• Climate change agreement
• Signed in 2015 to establish non-binding voluntary targets
• Goal is a max rise of 1.5°C (they have already risen 1.1°C), but the most recent COP28 Global Stocktake projects that even with countries’ commitments this will be surpassed before 2040
• The US has re-joined the Agreement (after pulling out under Donald Trump)

Question 3

What is an example of subsidies by the Australian Government to improve environmental sustainability?

Answer 3

The new Capacity Investment Scheme will provide a price floor for renewable energy if the market price is lower than expected, to achieve the Government’s 82% renewable energy target for 2030

Question 4

What is the Montreal Protocol?

Answer 4

• Agreement to reduce CFC pollution that was damaging the ozone layer
• Was successful (because there were cheap alternatives to CFCs)

Note: the ozone layer issue is totally different to climate change

Question 5

What is an example of a Pigovian tax to protect the Australian environment?

Answer 5

The carbon tax ($23 per tonne, 2012-2014) - electricity emissions fell by 9%

Question 6

What are 2 examples of a cap-and-trade scheme to protect the Australian environment?

Answer 6

1) The Albanese Government’s ‘enhanced’ Safeguard Mechanism reduces caps for large emitters by around 5% each year
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2) Murray Darling Basin Plan - farmers need permits for each unit of water use, and can buy/sell their permits. But some farms used water without permits and were not caught, causing water levels to fall so low that the water became toxic to fish

Question 7

How well has the Government managed Australia’s emissions?

Answer 7

Achieved the 2020 target (-5% on 2000 levels)… but the target wasn’t ambitious, and was only hit because of a disputed methodology for counting emissions from deforestation plus the effect of covid on flight emissions.

The new policies introduced by the Albanese Government (Enhanced Safeguard Mechanism, vehicle efficiency standards, Capacity Investment Scheme) are projected to achieve the more ambitious 2030 target

Question 8

What are 2 examples of regulations by the Australian Government to improve environmental sustainability?

Answer 8

1. Vehicle Efficiency Standards will start on 1 January, 2025 - the Government estimates they will save consumers $95 billion in fuel costs and 321 Mt of CO2 emissions by 2050
2. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act protects natural environments from deforestation and construction

Question 9

How well has the Australian Government achieved environmental sustainability?

Answer 9

They have failed.

Emissions have only fallen slightly, and that decline was not due to any government policy.

Aus has 4th highest number of extinctions in the world

Aus is in the top 10 countries for deforestation