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By The Maritime Executive 2019-08-18 19:00:47
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The climate impact of Australia’s fossil fuel (coal, oil, gas) exports ranks behind only Russia and Saudi Arabia exports in terms of global emissions, according to a report from the Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program.
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The research also finds that in absolute terms Australia is the world’s fifth largest miner of fossil fuels, ranking behind only China, the U.S., Russia and Saudi Arabia. On a per capita basis, Australia is on par with Saudi Arabia.
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The analysis, which compares emissions from burning fossil fuels mined and exported, also finds:
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• Australia accounts for seven percent of all fossil fuel exports, behind only Russia and Saudi Arabia.
• Australia is the largest fossil fuel exporter in the OECD, making up 20 percent of the total.
• Australia’s fossil fuel exports are almost three-quarters the size of all exports from all E.U. countries combined, and more than double any individual E.U. country. Australia’s fossil fuel production is one and a half times the size of all E.U. countries’ production combined.
• Australia’s fossil fuel exports are higher than those from Indonesia, Canada, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, or Qatar, and nearly four times larger than those from Venezuela or Colombia.
• Australia mines more fossil fuel carbon than Indonesia, India, Canada, Iran and Iraq.
• Australia’s domestic greenhouse gas emissions are higher than 40 countries that have larger populations than Australia, putting Australia at 14th globally.
• Per capita, Australia’s emissions are the highest in the OECD, and globally behind only smaller petro-states such as Qatar.
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Richie Merzian, Climate & Energy Program Director at the Australia Institute, said: “Many argue Australia’s emissions are small on a global scale, but this research shows the complete opposite: our domestic emissions are large and our exported emissions are even larger. Australia has a unique opportunity and obligation to face up to the climate crisis through policies to manage a decline in its carbon exports, starting with a moratorium on new coal mines.
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“Beyond the economic and national security self-interest in replacing Australia fossil fuel exports with alternatives, Australia has a profound global obligation to reduce emissions.”
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The report is available here.
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source: www.maritime-executive.com
