The Australian government's climate advisor, Ross Garnaut, has released the second part of his report, on Targets and trajectories [PDF]. It's disappointing, to say the least, committing to a pathetic (no, murderous) 550ppm international target and a very weak emissions reduction goal of a 10% reduction on 2000 emissions by 2020 (which after the baseline shift translates to a mere 6% on 1990). The disappointment can be summed up in two phrases, the first from the report (p. 5):
Australians can think of many reasons why their situation is different from that of other developed countries, and why their emissions reduction targets should be less demanding. So can people from every other country. There will be no progress towards an effective international agreement if each country lays out all of the special reasons why it is different from others, and why it should be given softer targets. When climate change negotiators from any country list reasons why their country has special reasons to be treated differently, and take them seriously, we should be quick to recognise that the negotiators, and the countries they represent, intentionally or not, are inhibiting effective international agreement.And the second from the Sydney Morning Herald story: Australia a 'special case', says Garnaut:
In a major report released today, Professor Garnaut says Australia is a special case and its emissions should be reduced by less than any other developed country.So, having denounced special pleading, Garnaut then embarks on a giant exercise in... special pleading, which fatally undermines his policy recommendations. It's especially ugly coming from a country which is one of the worst per-capita emitters in the world, and it undercuts any credibility they have on the international stage on this issue.Australia's high level of immigration, he says, meant it cannot realistically cut emissions as much as other wealthy nations.
