Greenhouse gas emissions stable: report

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Greenhouse gas emissions stable: report

Australia's greenhouse gas emissions have changed little over a year as soaring energy output was partly offset by the effects of the drought.

The Australian Greenhouse Office reported emissions in 2005 were 2.2 per cent above 1990 levels, leading the federal government to claim the nation's on track to meet its Kyoto Protocol target.

The inventory reported emissions in 2005 rose overall by about 100,000 tonnes from 2004.

A drop in output from agriculture and forestry by 3.4 million tonnes was offset by a 2.1 million tonne increase from mining, which includes extraction of coal, oil and gas.

The energy, transport and residential sectors were also higher.

The independent Climate Institute Australia has credited recent falls in agricultural emissions to a drop in livestock numbers caused by the drought.

"Australia will meet its first Kyoto commitment period through our own actions within out own national borders," Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull told the National Press Club in Canberra.

"Most of the countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, that are developed countries, would envy our position," he said.

Australia's target under the Kyoto Protocol, which the government has not ratified, is 108 per cent of 1990 levels by 2008-2012.

The Climate Institute says its analysis shows the nation would struggle to meet the target.

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"The energy sector is spiralling out of control," chief executive John Connor said.

Mr Turnbull urged people to look at the big picture, saying growing energy emissions are being offset by cuts in other sectors.

"Of course, if you have a growing economy you will get a greater demand for energy," he said.

The Australian Greens said the bad news had been buried in Wednesday's figures.

"The inventory ... shows that emissions from energy and transport increased by four million tonnes from 2004 to 2005," Greens climate spokeswoman Christine Milne said.

"That is five times the amount of carbon dioxide that would be saved by Mr Turnbull's light bulb phase out," Senator Milne said.

The federal government will eliminate incandescent lights within three years to reduce energy consumption.

Since 1990, emissions from agriculture and forestry have fallen by 41.7 per cent, mainly due to a halt in land clearing.

Emissions caused by electricity, gas and water rose by 46.9 per cent in the same period, and by 44.8 per cent from mining.

Mr Turnbull in his speech attacked Labor's emissions target but said the government would set goals itself after hearing from a prime ministerial task force on carbon trading.

"Setting unilateral targets as Labor has proposed, would serve no purpose, other than the pauperisation of our own country."

Asked if that ruled out a government target, he said: "No ... we will address that issue of targets following the receipt of the report by the task force and that's the context in which we'll discuss that."

Five leading economists called on federal and state governments to quickly introduce an emissions trading scheme.

"We believe the risk that climate change will result in substantial long-term damage to the Australian economy makes it imperative that government takes urgent action to reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions," the economists wrote in an open letter published in The Australian Financial Review.

Mr Turnbull also announced $18.5 million in funding to reduce methane emissions from underground coal mining in Australia.

Another $17.6 million will be allocated to companies developing storage methods for electricity from renewable sources.

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