The Opposition has criticised the government for pledging to cut carbon pollution by no more than five per cent by 2020, in the absence of a world agreement on slashing greenhouse gases.
Following the Copenhagen summit in December, Federal Climate Change Minister Penny Wong yesterday said Australia will stick with an unconditional reduction target of 5 per cent, rising to between 15 and 25 per cent until there is global agreement.
She said a higher target would be considered were India and China also to agree to a verifiable reduction in emissions.
Opposition spokesman Greg Hunt told the ABC this is a humiliating concession from the Government.
"Not only was Copenhagen a failure but also that its rush to put in place a massive new tax on families before Copenhagen was simply unnecessary".
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The Greens have also criticised the announcement.
"The intent was always that countries would put in their actual pledge for what they are prepared to do, by putting it in the range of 5 to 25 the Australian Government is not moving on from where it was in Copenhagen," the Greens climate spokeswoman, Senator Christine Milne told the ABC's AM program.
"It is the same range, same government, same conditions and it will contribute to an ongoing global deadlock.
The emissions trading scheme, source of much consternation as well as a new leader amongst the Opposition, will go before parliament again next month. Senator Wong called on the opposition to back it.
If there's no agreement by next year, Australia will fix the 5 per cent target for the first year of emissions trading, providing the legislation passes through Parliament.
Wong said that the government would now formally submit the current 2020 targets for emission reduction to the Copenhagen Accord.
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