The Climate Council is concerned about under-reporting of emissions, estimating it could be as high as 60 percent. To address this issue, a new expert panel led by Australia’s Chief Scientist Cathy Foley has been established to monitor methane levels in the country. This panel was recommended by the Climate Change Authority as part of the review of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme.
The report released in late 2023 made 25 recommendations for the scheme, with the federal government agreeing to 24 of them. The aim is to enhance the accessibility and transparency of emissions and energy data to meet the growing needs of both the government and the public.
While the emissions reporting scheme is functioning well, changes are needed to ensure its relevance for the future. The taskforce’s role is to guarantee the accuracy of climate change data and explore new measurement approaches.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen emphasized the importance of this work in Australia’s efforts to reduce emissions. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, requires improved measurement approaches based on sound science and expert analysis to support Australia’s emission reduction targets.
Australia is one of the highest producers of methane globally due to its significant fossil fuel mining and agriculture sectors. The Climate Council believes that coal and gas corporations may be under-reporting methane emissions by as much as 60 percent.
Australia has set a net 2030 emissions target of a 43 percent reduction below 2005 levels. However, Climate Action Tracker highlights shortcomings in Australia’s climate policy and rates the country’s overall performance as “inadequate.”
Despite revisions in land use sequestration data, Australia’s total emissions are projected to decrease from 465 Mt in 2023 to 312 Mt by 2030. Some sectors, such as agriculture, are not expected to achieve significant reductions during this period.
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