Glasgow ?ratchet mechanism? could put more pressure on Australia - Sydney Morning Herald

Glasgow: Australia could be pressured to improve its 2030 emissions reduction target as soon as next year, according to a summary of negotiating points released by the presidency of the United Nations climate talks in Glasgow.

The document was released on Sunday morning as negotiators took a rest day after sessions continued late into the night during the first week of the talks, which are expected to conclude on Friday.

Before this meeting, Australia simply resubmitted the goal it first set in Paris of reducing emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2030. Nations such as the United States doubled their original goals.

Scientists say that to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the world must reduce emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2030.

Should the language be adopted in a final statement, it would affect countries such as Australia, Brazil, Mexico and Saudi Arabia which did not improve 2030 targets, said David Waskow, international climate director for the World Resources Institute, a US-based global think tank.

Some nations at COP are arguing that the ratchet mechanism should be accelerated by insisting that nations submit improved emissions reduction targets annually rather than every five years.

But these targets have proved to be politically explosive in Australia, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison only announcing a 2050 target days before the climate talks began after exhaustive consultations with Nationals.

Waskow said in a press call that should the language in the summary appear in a final draft, it would leave significant gaps, as it would not address those nations that have marginally improved their NDCs.

The summary also suggests that progress in some negotiating tracks has been slow and difficult.

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