Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I think Senator Milne has asked me some similar questions previously and I would again make the point that the parts per million figure is always going to be a function not only of Australia’s targets over 2020 to 2050, as the senator knows, but of the nature and scale of the global agreement which can be achieved at Copenhagen for the years ahead. That is the reality. I appreciate that Senator Milne has a particular view about the targets, and she is entitled to put that. The government has taken the view that these are responsible targets and we have considered very carefully, not just the immediate issue of the current economic situation, but also what will be required to move this economy to a low-pollution economy of the future.

One of the things which seems to be forgotten in discussion about the targets is what sort of emissions growth is already built into the system as a result of past inaction. Without the CPRS Australia’s emissions will grow to 20 per cent above 2000 levels—that is, we will be at 120 per cent of 2000 levels—so five to 15 represents up to a 30 per cent reduction of business as usual. This is a very significant set of targets that Australia has put on the table and we believe they are responsible targets particularly in light of the various factors that the government has to balance. They are absolutely about driving change in the Australian economy to build the low-pollution jobs of tomorrow.