Greenhouse emissions rise by 2pc a year

Canberra Times
Friday 26/9/2008 Page: 3

Greenhouse gas emissions are still rising by about 2 per cent a year, according to international research conducted partly by the CSIRO. A CSIRO carbon specialist who spearheaded the research, Pep Canadell, said Australia was unique as a developed country that had rapidly growing emission levels. "Every year of continuing growth makes the future reduction requirement even steeper," Dr Canadell said.

Climate change adviser Ross Garnaut has called for Australia to cut emissions by 10 per cent from 2000 levels within 12 years. Dr Canadell said Australia would have to start cutting emissions by 1.5 per cent a year to achieve that target. The research venture, titled the Global Carbon Project, found global emissions were growing at almost four times the rate they had been before 2000.

Paul Fraser, of the CSIRO's marine and atmospheric research division, said emissions were now growing by 3.5 per cent annually. Dr Fraser said that during the 1990s they rose by 1 per cent a year. He cited the Kyoto process as one factor in Australia's unique status as a developed country where emissions continued to rise. Other developed nations had been told to cut their emissions but Australia was allowed to increase emissions by 8 per cent.