Australia's emissions fall in March quarter
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The news: Australia's emissions fell by 0.6% to 440.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (mtCO2e) in the three months to the end of March 2024, according to the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
The numbers: The quarterly update showed that greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2.7 mtCO2e, bringing the total cumulative fall in emissions since 2005 to 28.2%. This is the baseline year against which Australia measures its 43% by 2030 emissions reduction target.
The context: The slide in emissions occurred during a warmer than average March quarter, where electricity demand was higher than usual reflecting increased air-conditioner use. But the higher power consumption was offset by an increased use of renewable energy by the electricity grid on hot days.
Preliminary estimates for the three months to June 2024 indicate that emissions will fall a further 0.9% or 3.8 mtCO2e lower than the same period last year.
What they said: "This report reinforces the outlook from the 2023 emissions projections that Australia is on track to achieve our Paris Agreement target of 43% by 2030," Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said in a statement.
The source: Chris Bowen ministerial media release
