Australia has been ranked fourth last in an assessment of the actions being taken by industrialised and emerging countries on climate change.
"It is simply not good enough for Australia to pretend we are too small to have an effect on global climate change," said Kellie Caught, WWF-Australia’s Climate Change Policy Manager.
"While Australia is ranked 16 in terms of total emissions, its poor ranking on climate action is because it has the highest emissions per capita in the developed world, and its emissions continue to increase at approximately twice the world average.
"Australia is a significant contributor to climate change and what this ranking clearly shows is that while we might talk the talk, we are not walking the walk when it comes to action.
"It’s critical for Australia to enact the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and other laws that reduce greenhouse pollution and also provide greater support for emerging renewable technologies so we can reverse our growth in emissions."
The Climate Change Performance Index, published annually by Germanwatch and Climate Action Network Europe, compares the climate protection performance of 57 industrialised countries and emerging economies. Together these countries account for more than 90 per cent of global energy related CO2 emissions.
The 2010 Index, released overnight at the UN conference in Copenhagen, shows Australia comes in at the bottom of the list, just between Luxembourg and Kazakhstan. Even the world’s largest emitters, China and the US, rank higher than Australia.
In the three areas assessed by the index – emissions trends, emissions levels and climate policy – Australia achieved a rating of very poor, very poor and moderate respectively.
WWF is calling on the Australian Government to do all it can to seal an effective deal in Copenhagen, and then work to make sure that commitment can be implemented at home.
"Australia desperately needs a clear, effective and science-based plan to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. This should be in line with an international, legally binding agreement that limits warming to less than 2 degrees," said Ms Caught.
"A strengthened Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme that puts a cap on emissions and sends a price signal to shift to low carbon products and services is an important tool to put Australia on track. Politicians need to stop bickering and start acting."
The full report can be viewed at http://www.germanwatch.org/ccpi
More information
Jonathon Larkin, WWF Media Officer, WWF-Australia,
Mobile: 0410 221 410
Email: [email protected]
Kellie Caught, WWF Climate Change Policy Manager, WWF-Australia,
Mobile: 0406 383 277
Email: [email protected]