National Greenhouse Accounts released

The latest National Greenhouse Accounts have been released by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, revealing that Australia’s national inventory total emissions of greenhouse gases increased by 0.6% to 546 million tonnes over the year to December 2011.

Federal Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Minister Greg Combet said that the National Greenhouse Accounts reflect the long-term trend of growth in Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1990 and highlight the need for action on climate change.

Australia has formally submitted the latest National Greenhouse Accounts to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The accounts show emissions growth has been subdued recently, with emissions yet to return to the previous peak set in 2008.

As a result, Australia remains on track to meet its Kyoto Protocol target of limiting emissions to 108% of 1990 levels, on average, over the period from 2008 to 2012. The accounts show that Australia’s carbon pollution is currently tracking at 104% of 1990 levels.

Emissions from the electricity generation sector rose by 50% from 1990 to 2011, the strongest growth of all sectors in Australia.