In the international negotiations to finalise a post-2020 target for greenhouse gas emissions Australia will need to strike the right balance.
This submission argues that Australia will need to strike a balance in setting its post-2020 target such that it is neither disproportionately too high, nor too low and is commensurate with the level of change communities and individuals will tolerate over time.
In setting a post-2020 target the government should weigh the following factors:
• Australia’s appropriate share
• what other countries are actually doing
• technical feasibility
• environmental credibility
• economic cost.
The Australian community should also have a clear understanding of the structural adjustment required, how it will occur and in what timeframe, and also potential risks to our competitiveness as a result.
Response to Issues Paper: Setting Australia’s post-2020 target for greenhouse gas emissions