Paris agreement is working, Australian minister tells Cop29, but much deeper cuts needed by 2035

Excerpt and Photo from theguardian.com

The Australian climate change minister, Chris Bowen, has declared the landmark Paris agreement “is working” as it had brought the world back from “the brink of catastrophic 4C warming”, but argued countries must set the most ambitious emissions targets possible for 2035 to limit worsening global heating.

Giving Australia’s national statement on the conference floor at the Cop29 summit in Azerbaijan, he also pledged A$50m (US$32.5m) towards a global loss and damage fund to help the world’s most vulnerable people to repair the damage from climate breakdown.

The comments about emissions reduction targets will raise expectations that the Albanese government will substantially ramp up its commitments when a new emissions target is set next year.

Initial advice from the Australian Climate Change Authority earlier this year suggested the country could achieve a cut of up to 75% below 2005 levels by 2035. The authority’s final recommendation – and the government’s announcement of its target – has been delayed, possibly until after the federal election due by May.