A new law recently passed by Australia’s parliament requires total emissions from major industrial facilities to come down, not just be offset. The requirement is considered key to achieving prime minister Anthony Albanese’s commitment to cut national carbon dioxide emissions 43% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels. From 1 July, most large scale emitters will need to reduce their emissions intensity by 5% a year. Initially it was hoped by the political party, the Greens, that new oil and gas developments would be banned, however the compromise reached was that new gas fields for export markets must offset all CO2 emissions.
