CANBERRA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Australia must achieve net-zero emissions by 2035 in order to contribute to global efforts to hold global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, a leading advocacy group said.
In an analysis published on Wednesday, the Climate Council, an NGO, said that a strong 2035 emissions reduction target can protect Australians from climate harm, enhance regional security and create economic opportunities.
It said that the federal government's commitment to reaching net-zero emissions by 2035 is "the only target available" to Australia with a strong chance of contributing to limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor Party government is awaiting advice from the independent Climate Change Authority (CCA) before setting a 2035 emissions reduction target.
Currently, Australia has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 43 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2050.
In a report released in September 2024, the CCA said that Australia would need to achieve a 75 percent emissions cut by 2035 to help limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Climate Council said on Wednesday that Australia needs to reduce emissions by 75 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2035.
Under a scenario where warming exceeds 2 degrees Celsius, the Climate Council said that 99 percent of Australia's coral reefs would be lost, both Sydney and Melbourne would experience temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius, and one in 12 Australian vertebrate species would lose over half their habitat.
Nine Entertainment newspapers reported on Wednesday that the CCA is expected to hand its advice on a 2035 target to the government within weeks. ■
