The Climate Institute has released its Global Climate Leadership Review, and Australia is leading the pack at the wrong end. While all of the other 18 countries in the review have improved their “low-carbon competitiveness” score or kept it the same, Australia’s score has slipped backwards since 1995. Australia now holds the distinction of being the only country in the G20 that is less prepared for a low-carbon economy than it was 15 years ago.
Australia wins some points for early preparation. We have taken some moves towards a low-carbon economy, but we have a very long distance to travel because we have the highest carbon intensity of electricity generation of all developed countries. Over the past 15 years, Australia’s economy has become more reliant on mining. The mining and export of coal in particular count against us when assessing carbon performance.
Australia also has the second-highest number of cars per person, as well as high emissions per person from the transport sector. France has the highest “low-carbon competitiveness”, followed by Japan, the UK, South Korea, Germany, Canada and China. Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and India are the only countries out of the G20 still ranked below Australia, while Mexico has been the big improver, leapfrogging ahead of Australia and several other countries over the past 15 years.