As everybody is getting excited about a new climate deal, let’s not forget that we still need to ratify Kyoto’s second commitment period. Negotiations on these KP issues are technical and few people have been paying attention to them.
So dear old Australia, proud winner of multiple Fossil of the Day awards here, we are watching you! And we have noticed that you would like to redefine what “emission” means to help determine your baseline under the (in)famous Doha paragraph 3.7ter. And that you are trying to convince other Parties to agree to this little accounting trick.
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s do the numbers: This “little” accounting trick would get Australia an additional 80 million tonnes which it could emit. Add these to the more than 100 million tonnes Australia has left over from the first Kyoto period – and a whole bunch of LULUCF credits – and hey presto! Australia can significantly increase its emissions and still meet its Kyoto target.
May we remind Australia and everybody else once again that the atmosphere does not see
accounting tricks, only real emissions.
