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Latest report of Tasmania’s greenhouse gas emissions

Latest report of Tasmania’s greenhouse gas emissions

Highly recommended reading: The University of Tasmania has published its latest annual progress report, prepared by the Tasmanian Policy Exchange (TPE).

Read the June 2023 report and accompanying opinion piece  here: https://www.utas.edu.au/community-and-partners/tpe/emissions


(Text below is copied directly from the report, but we highly recommend you read the full report at the link above)



Aims of this Report


Given the climate emergency we are facing, communities in Tasmania and beyond are demanding ambitious action on emissions reduction. 


This urgent challenge requires a clear understanding of how much we contribute to the problem of global climate pollution, but the way emissions are reported is complex and can be confusing.


Our annual updates are designed to:

  • provide clear and independent analysis of greenhouse gas emissions in Tasmania

  • keep tabs on how our performance compares to other states

  • assess whether we are on-track to meet state and national targets, and

  • highlight where we need to focus our efforts and improve outcomes to credibly claim national leadership on climate action.


Key findings


How are we tracking?

  • In May, the Australian Government released the most recent State and Territory Greenhouse Gas Inventories for the 2021 reporting year. The data show that while Australia’s net emissions fell by around 6% over the past year, as of mid-2022 we were not on track to reach the Federal Government’s target of a 43% reduction on 2005 levels by 2030.


How does Tasmania compare?

  • Once again, Tasmania is the nation’s best performer overall, with net emissions of -4800kt of CO2-e greenhouse gases. However, our emissions have increased slightly on last year and our ‘net-negative’ status depends entirely on carbon removed from the atmosphere and stored in forests (the ‘land use, land-use change and forestry’, or LULUCF, sector) which are likely to decline over time.


What are our emissions reduction priorities for the future?

  • Tasmania is one of the few places on earth to have achieved net zero, but we cannot afford to be complacent. Tasmania’s new Climate Action Plan must provide concrete proposals to cut carbon emissions across the entire economy or our reputation as a leader on climate action will be in jeopardy. Our best near-term abatement opportunities are in the transport and agriculture sectors.


(From the conculsion page - please see all the detail inbetween in the report link at above and below)


Conclusions: what’s next and where should we focus our energy?

  • The 2021 edition of the State and Territory Greenhouse Gas Inventories report shows that Tasmania remains the country’s only net-negative jurisdiction, but this does not necessarily mean that we are on track or that we shouldn’t be trying much harder than we currently are to aggressively reduce our emissions. On the contrary, despite Tasmania’s enormous head start and unparalleled natural advantages, we were the only state or territory in the nation to record an increase in both net and absolute emissions.


In short, we can’t be complacent and put our feet up. There are two reasons for this.

  • The first is that, as both we and other independent analysts have argued, the rate at which carbon is sequestered in Tasmania’s forests and soils will slow as young, fast-growing plantations and managed native regrowth forests mature. The risks of relying on our forests and soils to maintain net-zero are exacerbated by land clearing and the increased likelihood of severe bushfires as our climate becomes hotter and drier.


  • The second reason is that the developing and adopting low- and zero-carbon technologies and processes is critical for Tasmania’s exports and future prosperity in an increasingly carbon-conscious world. Our aim should be to build on our net-zero status and commit to delivering negative emissions in the years ahead to establish Tasmania as an innovative, sustainable, and prosperous economy that can provide an example to the world on climate action. 



Full report here: https://www.utas.edu.au/community-and-partners/tpe/emissions

28 June 2023

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