Will Australia postpone its 2035 climate target until after the US election? – Watts Up With That?
Essay by Eric Worrall
Are US Taxpayers’ Money Fueling the Global Climate Movement?
Australia may delay 2035 climate target announcement as world awaits US election result
Experts urge Australia not to delay its target too long as Climate Change Agency report identifies six barriers to net zero emissions
Adam Morton Climate and Environment EditorThursday, 5 September 2024 14.48 AEST
The Australian government may delay announcing its 2035 climate target until after the February deadline and the next election, partly due to uncertainty about the outcome of the US presidential election.
Several major emitters are lagging in developing 2035 emissions reduction targets under the Paris climate agreement that must be completed before the United Nations climate summit in Belém, Brazil, next November.
Major investors said they were comfortable with countries delaying the publication of targets if it meant they were making commitments that were “consistent with the science” and achieving the “highest possible level of ambition”.
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Globally, governments are watching the US election before finalising their 2035 commitments. Observers believe Kamala Harris will be quick to announce the target if she wins, but Donald Trump, who has called the climate crisis a “hoax”, has said he will. once again withdraws the United States from the Paris Agreement.
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Is the entire global climate movement a political hoax fueled by US taxpayer dollars? Is the world dancing to America’s tune?
OK, maybe not the entire climate movement. European countries like Germany have proven perfectly capable of shooting themselves in the foot without US help. But Europe is a declining power, its ability to influence global events crumbling due to population decline and the inability to reduce industrial costs such as energy costs.
The United States holds the power to decide global climate policy, now and in the near future.
Of course, despite the urgency of the moment, Australian politicians are still betting heavily on Kamala’s victory. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has picked an outspoken critic of President Trump to be Australia’s ambassador to the United States in 2022 and has repeatedly defended his decision, despite Trump’s rise in the polls.
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