MEDIA RELEASE 
11 August 2015

Abbott Government’s climate target drags Australia backwards 

Conservation SA is dismayed and deeply disappointed that Australia’s emissions reduction target for the Paris talks in December will lag far behind those of other developed nations.

Chief Executive Craig Wilkins said: “The likely target of a 26% cut on 2005 emissions by 2030 is way behind other industrialised nations.

“It fails the key test of keeping global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees. If all countries took such a weak position the world would see 3 or 4 degrees of warming.

“Australians are already picking up the tab for extreme weather events, it is absolutely in our national interest to get the global community working together to decarbonise our economies. A target this low sends exactly the wrong message to our key allies, neighbours, and trading partners.

“We can’t expect to continue this negligent attitude and not face a backlash sooner or later. But just as much as it will hurt our international relationships, it is a bum steer for how we are managing our economy domestically.

“The Abbott Government is clinging to coal like a smoker to their last cigarette.

“The Government is well out of touch with public opinion.  It risks becoming an international embarrassment and it is tying our economy to industries of the past.

“Mr Abbott and his team need to drastically rethink their target or we will all suffer the consequences,” Mr Wilkins concluded. 

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