Labor’s 2035 emissions target may be middle of the road but it shows there’s no going back on climate

Buried in the small library of documents released alongside the Albanese government’s new 2035 emissions reduction target on Thursday was a stark illustration of the challenge ahead.

As part of its advice recommending a target of 62% to 70% reductions from 2005 levels , the Climate Change Authority gave a speedometer of progress on decarbonisation to date. It showed in the five years to 2023-24, Australia reduced emissions by an average of 9 megatonnes (Mt). Last financial year, emissions reduced by 7Mt.

But to meet the government’s 2030 target, emissions reductions need to more than double that, cutting 16Mt per year. They need to go further still to hit the new 2035 goal, cutting 19 to 24Mt annually.

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At the heart of the government’s announcement –