Australia’s new emissions reduction target is on the lower end of what serious climate watchers wanted, but it’s still going to be a hard slog to reach it.

Although the level was lower than environment groups wanted, it is ambitious on an international scale – especially considering Australia has spent a decade lagging at the bottom or hiding in the middle of the pack.

The alternative, doing nothing or little, is worse.

Chris Bowen made that clear on Monday when he kicked off the week of climate policy by releasing doomsday scenarios — sorry, risk assessment — of an Australia beset by heatwaves, floods, shrinking crops and uninsurable homes if nothing changed.

The minister also made it clear on Thursday that to halt this, everyone will have to pull their weight.

It’s hard to see, look

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