Australia Scores Badly on Emissions Growth
Urban Ecology News. 2007.11.1
Australia is the ninth biggest contributor to increased global carbon emissions, says report.
The report, "Growth and CO2 Emissions: How do different countries fare?" released by the World Bank, examines the trends among the world's 70 biggest producers of greenhouse gases.
Australia was almost unique in being a developed country whose emissions are not only very high but growing rapidly. Between 1994 and 2004, Australia's annual emissions of carbon dioxide (the world's main greenhouse gas) increased by 107 million tonnes, or 38 per cent.
Australia's emissions grew by more than the combined increase in emissions by Britain, France and Germany, which have 10 times our population. In Denmark, which has become the world leader in wind energy, carbon dioxide emissions fell by 9 million tonnes, or 13 per cent.
On a population basis, Australia had the sixth highest emissions of carbon dioxide - 19.36 tonnes per head in 2004, roughly three times that of Sweden and Switzerland, more than five times that of China, 19 times that of India and 72 times that of Bangladesh.
Australia's emissions are high largely because it relies on heavily polluting coal for electricity; specialises in energy-intensive industries such as aluminium; has a large car fleet with poor fuel efficiency; and lags behind Europe in energy efficiency standards for buildings and appliances.
Links
Source: Australia scores badly on emissions growth - report. Tim Colebatch and Jewel Topsfield. The Age. 2007.11.1
Refer: Growth and CO2 Emissions: How do different countries fare? (PDF). World Bank. 2007.10