Climate Change Authority splits as members release minority report calling for Australia to 'do more'

Extract from ABC News

By political reporter Stephen Dziedzic, and Anna Henderson

Updated 25 minutes ago

Video: Climate Change Authority's Professor David Karoly speaks with ABC News Breakfast (ABC News)

The Government's main climate change advisory body has split, with two board members calling for tougher action to reduce emissions.

Last week, the Climate Change Authority published a report calling for the Government to introduce an emissions trading scheme.
But two of the authority's board members, climate scientist David Karoly and economist Clive Hamilton, have since issued a dissenting minority report calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions.

Why we wrote a minority report

If there is no change to the current 2030 target, Australia's Paris Agreement commitment will be impossible to achieve, writes David Karoly and Clive Hamilton.

Professor Karoly said the recommendations in the majority report were inadequate.
"The target that is being used is the current Government targets, which are only 26 to 28 per cent emission reductions by 2030, but in fact that means that Australia would not be contributing its fair share to global action," he said.
"Australia is the highest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases of all countries in the world.
"Therefore Australia should be doing more, because it is contributing more to climate change growth, to global warming around the world."
Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg brushed off the dissenting report, saying the vast majority of board members had signed on.
He said the Government was taking an ambitious approach to cut emissions, and stressed the authority's work was independent.
"The Climate Change Authority, chaired by Wendy Craik, has made its own determination," Mr Frydenberg said.
"We have not sought to direct it.
"Two people on that board have had a different view, but the vast majority of those board members have signed on to the report which was submitted by the government and announced last week."
Dr Craik heads the board, which also includes the CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kate Carnell.
Australia's chief scientist Alan Finkel is also an ex officio member.