The soon-to-be-abolished independent climate change advisory authority says Australia should boost its carbon emissions reduction targets to at least 15 per cent by 2020.
The Coalition government intends to cut emissions by five per cent based on 2000 levels by scrapping the carbon tax and introducing what it calls direct action.
But, the Climate Change Authority says this target is completely inadequate.
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Labor and the Coalition have both committed to reduce pollution to five per cent below 2000 levels by 2020, and say any cuts above that would be dependent on the action taken by other nations.
But in its draft report on emissions reduction targets, the Climate Change Authority recommends a significant increase above the five per cent target.
The Authority says a five per cent cut would leave Australia lagging behind other comparable countries, like the United States.
The Authority's chair is former Reserve Bank governor Bernie Fraser.
He says he doesn't believe there's a proper political understanding of the issue and the need for long-term solutions to the problem.
"This is because compared to some other countries we are struggling in Australia, I believe, from the distinct lack of a broad political consensus. A consensus for example that global warming is real, and it raises serious concerns which require consistent and long-term policy responses."
The Authority has not recommended a final, tougher target but has canvassed two options.
It says there could be a 15 per cent reduction by 2020, aiming for cuts of 35 to 50 per cent by 2030.
Alternatively, it says there could be a 25 per cent reduction in emissions by 2020 aiming for cuts of 40 to 50 per cent by 2030.
The Authority's Anthea Harris says a weaker 2020 target would require faster reductions later if Australia is to play its fair role in contributing to the international goal of limiting global warming.
Ms Harris says the report is designed to help guide governments to think about the long, as well as the short, term.
"One of the contributions we'd like to think the draft report would make is instead of thinking about 2020 targets in splendid isolation, we are encouraging people to think about 2020 targets in a longer term context and the draft recommendations aim to think about short term targets, but then have guidance but more flexibility as we go into the longer term."
Bernie Fraser says the primary focus of the report is Australia's goals for reducing emissions.
He says the setting of these goals raises the same critical questions whatever particular policies are adopted to meet them.
The Authority was set up by the former Labor government to provide expert advice on carbon pricing and climate policy.
The Coalition intends to introduce legislation in the first sitting of Parliament to abolish the Authority.
Mr Fraser says despite this, he hopes the government will heed the advice contained in the Authority's report.
"We're fulfilling our legislative obligations to submit that report to the government of the day. And we've given it our best shot on what we think needs to be done. As well as providing that advice to the government there is hopefully a secondary spin-off effect of helping to inform public opinion about some of these issues."
Greens leader Christine Milne says the government should reconsider abolishing the Authority because there's a clear need for an independent body to advise on climate change.
Ms Milne says climate change is real and the Coalition should not play politics with the issue but she believes Prime Minister Tony Abbott won't listen to the advice given in the report.
"It would be an absolute tragedy for Australia if the Climate Change Authority is abolished. It was all about depoliticising targets. No wonder Tony Abbott wants to get rid of it because he doesn't want the independent assessment of what the science says we need to do as well as what other countries are doing. He wants to keep it politicised. Well, politicised is a bad idea because you can talk politics all you like but you can't change the physics of what is happening with the planet."
The Climate Change Authority will accept submissions on the draft report until November the 29th, with the final report due to be handed to the Government by the end of February.
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