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Editor's note
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Climate action is a complex topic and it can be hard for the average punter to determine if a policy stacks up. So it is with Labor’s announcement it will commit to net-zero emissions by 2050: is that enough to address the climate crisis?
The short answer is no.
As the Australian National University’s Will Steffen writes, it’s a matter of basic maths. The world can emit only a limited amount of greenhouse gas if it wants to avert highly dangerous global warming. If all nations adopted the same target as Labor – and many already have – it’s likely emissions would sail past the point where the planet can cope.
Steffen says Labor’s plan is a good start. But to be truly effective, he writes, our climate action must be far more stringent, including a ban on new fossil fuel developments.
For its part, the Coalition says Labor’s plan is unfunded and uncosted. It seems Australia’s climate wars are heating up again – we’d better strap in.
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Nicole Hasham
Section Editor: Energy + Environment
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Top stories
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NASA Earth Observatory
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