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The federal government is being urged to boost its five per cent emissions target as it seeks to have a carbon price agreement reached in 2011.
Labor argues the lack of action from other nations warranted Australia sticking to its existing goal as delegates gather at Cancun, Mexico, for a global climate change summit.
But the Australian Greens, who gain the balance of power in the Senate from July next year, say major polluters like China have taken sufficient measures during the past year to justify a more ambitious stance from Australia.
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said on Tuesday that the government would stay with its goal of reducing carbon emissions by five per cent on 2000 levels by 2020.
The affirmation came after the Climate Institute obtained documents under a freedom of information request, which included analysis of what other nations were proposing before the December 2009 Copenhagen climate change summit.
The climate change department briefs taken to Denmark advised that Australia’s “fair share” required a cut of 10 to 15 per cent.
But Mr Combet said the lack of action from other nations in adhering to the non-binding Copenhagen Accord justified Australia’s five per cent target.
“By reference to those conditions, we don’t believe they have been satisfied at this point in time,” Mr Combet, who heads to Cancun next week, told reporters in Canberra.
“We remain committed to the targets that we’ve articulated.”
Australian Greens deputy leader Christine Milne, who sits on the multi-party climate change committee with Mr Combet, disputed this justification.
Senator Milne said other major polluters like China had taken sufficient steps to mitigate climate pollution since Copenhagen, which nullified Labor’s argument to restrict carbon cuts to five per cent.
“Greg Combet is increasingly sounding like the coalition used to be on Work Choices,” she told reporters.
“The government’s own advice is that at Copenhagen, we should have been going for a much more ambitious target, 10 or 15 per cent.
“Subsequent to Copenhagen, the Chinese have done enough to warrant Australia moving to 25 per cent in a direct comparison.”
Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Monday said the government would seek a consensus by next year on ways to legislate a carbon price.
Senator Milne was more confident of having legislation passed.
“The prime minister has said she wants this resolved by the end of 2011; resolve by the end of 2011 has to mean legislation,” she said.
The debate on climate action coincided with Energy Minister Martin Ferguson releasing a discussion paper, outlining the government’s plan to have all new coal-fired power stations meet an emission standard by 2011.
They would be required to retro-fit carbon capture and storage technologies when they become available.
Australian National University (ANU) climate change academic Frank Jotzo said rich nations needed to set an example to developing nations on tackling global warming.
“Developing nations, in particular, will find it a lot easier to embark on a path of economic reform if rich countries can show first that it can take the carbon out of the economy without stifling economic growth,” he told an audience at the ANU in the presence of Mr Combet.