{"id":24428,"date":"2014-12-26T17:06:37","date_gmt":"2014-12-26T06:06:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=24428"},"modified":"2019-04-16T13:31:24","modified_gmt":"2019-04-16T03:31:24","slug":"australian-emissions-set-to-soar-new-report-shows-carbontax-was-working-reports-takvera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/australian-emissions-set-to-soar-new-report-shows-carbontax-was-working-reports-takvera\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian #climate emissions set to soar: new report shows #carbontax was working – @Takvera"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"20141226-carbontax-was-working-feature\"<\/a>
\nLargest drop in Australia’s emissions with carbon tax, new figures from the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory reveal, as emissions from electricity generation start to trend up.<\/em><\/p>\n

Just two days before Christmas Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt released the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory June quarter update report<\/a> which shows that Labor’s Carbon pricing, abolished in July 2014, was being highly effective at reducing emissions, especially from the electricity generating sector.<\/p>\n

The Abbott Government wants to bury this story, hence it’s release right before Christmas. Carbon tax abolition was, after all, Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s greatest achievement as Minister for Women<\/a>, as we were told.<\/p>\n

Despite the timing, there was mainstream coverage by the Sydney Morning Herald<\/a><\/em> and in the Guardian<\/a><\/em>, but the details are easily forgotten in the pre-christmas activity and celebrations by most people.<\/p>\n

Reading the Latest data in the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory indicates that in the 2013-2014 year to June 2014 (when the carbon tax was in force) greenhouse gas emissions for the energy – electricity sector were reduced by 4 per cent compared to 2012-2013. The rate of reduction had also accelerated from the previous year.<\/p>\n

Overall, from all sectors annual emissions reduced by 1.4 per cent. <\/p>\n

\"20141224-Aus-GHG-emissions-June2014-640w\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This data covers the period up to June 2014 when the carbon pricing scheme, or the carbon tax, was in force and demonstrates it had actually accelerated it’s impact in driving down emissions in it’s second year of operation, particularly in electricity generation which is responsible for about a third of Australia’s total emissions. <\/p>\n

The report states:<\/p>\n

\nChanges in the fuel mix used to generate electricity have also contributed to the recent decline in emissions. Over the year to June 2014, generation in the NEM from black coal decreased by 5.1%, brown coal generation decreased by 3.0% and gas generation decreased by 1.2%. Hydroelectric generation grew by 1.8% and generation from wind and other renewables continues to grow, increasing by 27.5%, from a small base.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"20141224-Aus-GHG-emissions-electricity-by-fuel-2009-2014-640w\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Agriculture, Transport and industrial processes also saw a drop in emissions in 2013-2014, while fugitive emissions from mining and stationary energy excluding electricity increased.<\/p>\n

To summarise the 2013-14 data:<\/p>\n