CANBERRA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Australia's electricity market is set to achieve its Paris agreement emissions reduction target eight years ahead of schedule, the government said Tuesday.
Angus Taylor, Australia's minister for Energy, on Tuesday said the emissions from the National Electricity Market (NEM) were projected to fall 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2022, eight years ahead of the 2030 deadline established by the Paris agreement.
According to the modelling, a 28-percent-reduction would be achieved by 2023 and remain stable until 2030.
Under the landmark Paris agreement, which came into effect in November 2016, Australia committed to an emissions reduction target of between 26 and 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
The opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) has promised to introduce a 45-percent-emissions reduction target by 2030 if elected in the 2019 general election by enshrining the target in Australian law but Taylor on Tuesday said the new data proved such a mechanism was unnecessary.
"There is no need to have a debate about emissions unless you have a higher target."
