Australia's carbon emissions rose nearly 1% in 2021, as driving and travel picked up and manufacturing activity recovered in the revival from COVID-19. The rise, which authorities expect to continue into the March quarter of 2022, poses a challenge for the new Labor government which has boosted the country's climate pledge, aiming to cut emissions by 43% from 2005 levels by 2030. Emissions climbed by 4.1 mn tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2-e) to 488.0 Mt CO2-e, driven by a 4% rise in transport emissions, a 3.3% rise in the manufacturing sector and 4.2% rise in the farm sector with a recovery from drought. Those increases were partly offset by a 4.2% drop from the biggest emitting sector, electricity generation, with more power coming from wind and solar and less from coal- and gas-fired plants..

Source: Reuters