Australia's Senate Enshrines into Law the Country's Carbon Emissions Commitments

Big news over the last 24 hours out of #Australia on #climate action, with the country’s parliament passing legislation which enshrines into law #carbon emissions reduction targets.

Originally introduced in July by new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the law was approved by the #Australian Senate on Thursday, and sees the country pledging to reduce #greenhousegas (#GHG) emissions by 43% by 2030 (compared to 2005 levels), paving way to achieving #netzero by 2050.

Australia is a country which is one of the world’s biggest emitters of carbon (c. 1% of global #carbonemissions come from the land down under). And with so many jobs dependent on the #energy sector, #leadership has long danced around #climatechange measures which curb activity. Mining, for example, accounts for 11% of GDP and supports some 270,000 jobs, many of which are in the coal-mining sector.

Albanese’s plan may not, as of yet, contain the details for which many #climateaction groups have campaigned. However it is far more progressive than those plans put forward last year of his predecessor, Scott Morrison. Australia now has quantitative targets and has set out its stall with underlying ambition to deliver #sustainabledevelopment advancements.

No, it’s not perfect. But it is a start for a better #future. And as the clever Mark Twain once so articulately put it: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”