Prime Minister Tony Abbott has confirmed his government has set a carbon emissions reduction target of 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels.
Cabinet has agreed to set a target range for the post-2020 climate talks of at least 26 per cent based on 2005 levels. That could go up to 28 per cent depending on the economic impact.
Abbott described it as a solid and economically responsible target.
Refrigerants Australia said the refrigeration and air conditioning industry actively supports a phase down, adding that the figure guarantees improved environmental outcomes while also giving industry long-term certainty.
Refrigerants Australia executive director, Greg Picker, said amendments to the Ozone Protection legislation, can deliver a range of benefits including reduced costs to consumers, better performance of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, improved energy efficiency and significant emission reductions.
“Refrigerants Australia estimates that revisions to Ozone Protection legislation can deliver emission reduction of up to the equivalent of 80 million tonnes of carbon dioxide between 2020 and 2030 based on the government’s own emissions estimates," he said.
"The refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) industry has a long history of working collaboratively with all governments to improve environmental performance."
Picker said the RAC industry has already reduced emissions from over 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually in the early 1990s to 10 million tonnes today.
He said most RAC equipment today is 40 per cent more efficient than it was a decade ago.
Meanwhile, the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) said the Abbott Government’s commitment to post-2020 emissions cuts is just a starting point, and stronger targets are needed to tackle climate change.
GBCA CEO, Romilly Madew, said that ultimately Australia will need more ambitious targets to meet its obligations and to seize the opportunities of a low-carbon economy.
"This target is not enough to ensure warming remains below the 2 degrees necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change,” Madew said.
The Climate Institute was a little less diplomatic with its chief executive John Connor stating that the target failed to be scientifically credible or economically responsible.
"This target is bad for the climate and bad for our international competitiveness," he said.
Not only is it “vastly inadequate” Connor said it would leave other world leaders at the Paris climate talks “very disappointed”.