Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

The government's position is well known and well understood, and that is that we support effective action on climate change. Indeed, we committed ourselves in Paris to an overall emissions reduction target of 26 per cent to 28 per cent. If you assess and consider that target on a per capita basis, given our relatively small population in a big continent, we are committed to reducing emissions by half. On the basis of emissions intensity in our economy—that is, emissions per unit of GDP—in fact, we are committed to reducing emissions by two-thirds. That is more ambitious than the European Union, than Japan, than Canada, than New Zealand—you name it—and it is an entirely appropriate commitment for us to make. But, of course, our government is focused on an agenda that is environmentally effective and economically responsible.