Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

As we go to the United Nations framework convention we always prepare a report on Australia’s tracking towards its Kyoto target. We are committed to that Kyoto target. But the fact is that, because of the very strong growth in our economy, there is certainly a risk of going over the 108. We may in fact do that. That report will become public. Senator Milne knows I table that every year. I will have the full information before the Australian people.

We are committed to that target; we are one of the few countries that is on track at the moment to reach our target. I make it clear that there are many other countries—Kyoto signatories—who are going well over their target. France, for example, while not going well over, are on track to achieve about a 109 per cent increase in their emissions; Ireland are on track to have a 133 per cent increase over their 1990 emissions, which is 20 per cent above their target; Spain, again another Kyoto signatory, is looking at a 151 per cent increase in their emissions over 1990 levels; Portugal, a 152 per cent increase in their emissions; Norway, 123 per cent; the Canadians are on track to go 116 per cent over their 1990 levels; and Australia, at the moment, on current estimates, is on track to reach 108. But I am flagging the potential that we could go over. What will the government do if we look like we are going over? We will have to take policy measures to try to get us back there again, because we are committed to fighting internationally and nationally the challenge of climate change with practical measures, real measures, to stop carbon going into the atmosphere. We will deliver, as opposed to the Labor Party and the Greens. All they deliver is slogans and not action.