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Australia tops greenhouse list

By Rod Myer
August 10 2002

Australia's greenhouse gas emissions per capita are 35 per cent above the US and the highest in the industrialised world, according to research by the Australia Institute.

Australia Institute director Clive Hamilton blamed a high reliance on coal to make electricity, and continued high levels of land clearance and automobile emissions.

Australia produced 27.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide a head in 1999, the last year for which figures are available. That is a decline of 3.5 per cent from 1990 levels of 28.9 tonnes. The second-highest per capita producer, Canada, emitted 22.2 tonnes, up 13.2 per cent from 19.6 tonnes in 1990. Third on the list was the US, producing 20.7 tonnes a head in 1999 compared to 20 tonnes in 1990.

The average for industrialised countries on the Australia Institute survey was 12.6 tonnes, down 14 per cent from 14.7 tonnes in 1990. The decline appears to be a result of the collapse of heavy industry in former Eastern bloc countries with Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states cutting per capita emissions by between 50 per cent and 75 per cent. The best performer at cutting emissions outside the former Eastern bloc was Britain where emissions fell 17 per cent to 10.8 tonnes a head. Britain has moved to gas-fired power and instituted a carbon tax.

Australia was a significant greenhouse polluter in absolute as well as per capita terms, Mr Hamilton said. Italy and France, which rely heavily on nuclear energy, produce less greenhouse gases than Australia despite having populations three times as large. Australia is seventh on the list of overall greenhouse polluters behind the US, Japan, Russia, Germany, Britain and Canada.

Australia's power industry has increased emissions since the start of the national electricity market, partly due to the improved efficiency of the Victorian generators, which provide more of the nation's power than in the past. Because Victoria's brown coal produces more greenhouse gases per unit of energy than black coal, relative emission levels are higher for the industry.

The introduction of a national electricity market has also resulted in a 5 per cent decline in the thermal efficiency of power stations, which has increased emissions.

Land clearing is also a big pollutant, producing about 70 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 1999, compared with 100 million tonnes in 1990.


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