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Australia’s carbon-dioxide emissions climbed in the year through March due to increased economic activity in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
Emissions rose 1.5%, or 7.4 million tons, in the period, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said in a quarterly update released Wednesday. A reduction in pollution from power plants because of increasing renewable generation was more than offset by increases from transport, manufacturing, agriculture and natural gas production.
The economy’s emissions intensity fell to the lowest level in 32 years but per-capita emissions in the nation, one of the world’s worst offenders on that metric, increased because of slower-than-usual population growth as a result of Covid restrictions.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who came into office in May after an election dominated by climate change, has moved to boost the nation’s action, including new policies on electric vehicles and a pledge to cut emissions by 43% by 2030 from 2005 levels. They are currently 21.6% below that level.
"The Albanese Government will continue to work hard with industry, the states and territories and the broader community, to turn this ship around,” Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said in a statement. "2030 is only 88 months away.”
