WA has no hope of achieving net zero emissions targets by 2050 without radical change, secret government report finds
A secret report obtained by the ABC shows Western Australia is on track for record high greenhouse gas emissions this year. It comes as the state government prepares to legislate its target of Net Zero by 20-50. But the modelling which the government is refusing to make public, indicates WA won't be able to achieve that goal if the current trajectory continues.
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TVTranscript
00:00 Winter is just a couple of weeks away and Perth beaches have been unseasonably busy.
00:07 While some are lapping it up, others see it as a call to action.
00:14 Governments across the world are trying to drive their emissions below 2005 levels.
00:20 But WA's are heading in the wrong direction.
00:23 The ABC has obtained a report by the Australian Environment Agency
00:27 commissioned by the WA Government, which projects the state will emit
00:32 more than 91 million tonnes of CO2 this year, almost 20% above 2005 levels.
00:39 In record high emissions we need to think about where temperatures are now.
00:43 Our May temperatures are average maximums never been higher
00:47 and that's linked very strongly to increased greenhouse gas emissions globally.
00:51 The Climate Works modelling projects that the state will emit more than 91 million tonnes
00:56 of CO2 this year, almost 20% below 2005 levels.
00:59 The Climate Works modelling projects that by 2030,
01:03 WA's emissions will be just 2% below our 2005 levels.
01:07 By 2035 they'll be 20% under.
01:10 But the modelling shows that for WA to get to net zero by 2050,
01:14 the state's emissions need to be dropping at twice that rate,
01:18 down 11% by 2030 and 42% by 2035.
01:23 The state is expected to achieve net zero emissions by 2050,
01:27 which it will soon legislate.
01:29 But it's refusing to release reports and modelling showing WA's current trajectory.
01:35 Why keep the modelling secret?
01:37 Why not release that Climate Works report?
01:39 Look, because we will target 2035.
01:42 It makes more sense, it gives industry more time
01:45 and it also allows us to look at the national aspirations for 2035.
01:51 There's a lot of modelling being done at the national level
01:55 that we can incorporate into our planning for 2035 for Western Australia.
01:59 It makes sense.
02:00 This government promised gold standard transparency
02:04 and what we're seeing unfortunately is the opposite,
02:06 where absolutely nothing has been released.
02:09 Look, and I know why, it's because they're embarrassed.
02:12 Every state in Australia has a 2030 emissions target, except WA.
02:17 Queensland, also a mining state, has already reached its 2030 target
02:22 and is aiming for a 75% reduction in emissions by 2035.
02:27 The government says the state's rising emissions are necessary
02:30 to help other countries decarbonise.
02:33 And that means pressure on getting gas to markets.
02:37 It also means mining critical minerals in Western Australia, mining iron ore.
02:42 All of these things are essential to build renewable energy infrastructure.
02:47 But climate scientist Bill Hare says WA's slow progress
02:51 is more to do with its slow uptake of renewable energy.
02:55 We in the scientific community are panicking about the lack of action.
02:58 This state will not look the same at all.
03:01 It won't be the place that we want and that we grew up in
03:05 unless we can get global efforts underway
03:08 to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.
03:10 These grandparents won't be around to find out.
03:13 But for now, they'll be here.
03:16 I'm going to try it again.
03:18 [BLANK_AUDIO]