Coalition MP Tony Abbott is regretting signing up to the Paris Agreement in 2015 according to a report in The Guardian.
The former PM now thinks that signing the treaty is leading to an “emissions obsession” that is fuelling the power crisis.
His statements come on top of his push to put coal at the centre of the National Energy Guarantee (NEG) — despite the level of renewable energy projects in the pipeline already exceeding proposed 2030 NEG targets.
At a meeting of climate sceptics on Tuesday, Abbott said if he had known the US was going to withdraw from the agreement he would not have signed up. However, his push to withdraw from the commitment is inconsistent with his previous statements describing Australia as a nation that keeps its commitments.
Why the change of heart on the Paris Agreement?
While Abbott agreed to a 26-28 percent emissions reduction target in 2015, he says these were “aspirational targets” and not binding commitments.
Abbott appears to be saying that Australia agreed to reducing emissions in a way that would suit ourselves. In other words, soft commitments only.
He also objects to the focus of the agreement being all about reducing emissions rather than about building prosperity. He considers that withdrawing from the treaty will increase jobs and reduce energy prices.
Abbott also thinks withdrawing could save the party from a political legacy that could haunt it “for the next decade at least”.
While Abbott describes climate change as an issue, he seems to consider it a relatively insignificant one. He also says he never viewed it as a “moral challenge”.
Meanwhile, renewable energy continues to grow
Despite the push by some in the Coalition for more coal, renewable energy keeps on growing. Green Energy Markets (GEM) data shows people signing up for solar installations in record numbers.
The May 2018 GEM report shows installations of rooftop solar are 56 per cent above last year’s rate. Solar installation employment also comprises over a third of employment in the electricity sector.
In addition, during April of this year, renewables made up nearly 20 per cent of electricity generated in our main grids. The data shows rooftop solar panels contributed nearly a quarter of this.
