How to know if a country is serious about net zero: look at its plans for extracting fossil fuels

Mon, 8 Nov 2021 05:24:58 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/how-to-know-if-a-country-is-serious-about-net-zero-look-at-its-plans-for-extracting-fossil-fuels-170508>

"Fresh emissions targets from Saudi Arabia and Australia – two of the world’s
largest fossil-fuel producers – are due to arrive just in time for global
climate talks in Glasgow. These would commit the two countries to reducing
domestic emissions to net zero by around mid-century – though both are expected
to continue exporting fossil fuels for decades to come.

For the leaders of countries and governments that produce fossil fuels, UN
climate summits are a public relations boon. They get to talk up their
commitments to a green and clean future without being held to account for their
disproportionate role in fuelling the problem. It’s hard for experts, let alone
the average citizen, to tell fact from fiction.

Because it’s only domestic greenhouse gas emissions that are counted for the
purpose of the UN climate negotiations, burning exported fossil fuels counts
towards the emissions of the importing country. Accordingly, the role that
major fossil fuel exporters like Saudi Arabia (oil and natural gas) and
Australia (coal and natural gas) play in stoking global heating is not
accurately reflected in the talks."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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