Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Carr can interject and say it is all aspirational and all sorts of things, but can I tell him this: talking about climate change at least is better than not talking about it, like Mr Rudd did. That is a classic case of Australia taking the challenge of climate change very, very seriously.

The Climate Institute’s analysis should focus on the energy sector, where its consultants have expertise and where available data might be more reliable. But the government’s emission projections to 2010, released in December last year, draw on detailed economic modelling of all sectors prepared by Australia’s leading experts in the field and show that Australia is performing well against its Kyoto target. The latest national greenhouse accounts provide complete and comprehensive data on Australia’s greenhouse emissions and show that Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions were 102.2 per cent of 1990 levels in 2005, and these results are consistent with the latest projections. Both Australia’s national greenhouse accounts and emission projections are prepared by the Australian Greenhouse Office according to international guidelines and subject to international review. As I understand it, Australia has produced annual inventories for quite some time.

Yes, we are always monitoring; we are always looking at this issue. Indeed, later this day, this Senate will be debating legislation dealing with this very issue. I invite Senator Brown to have a look at the actual record of what is happening.