National greenhouse gas emissions decreased in 2001 but Australia will just miss meeting its Kyoto Protocol reduction targets.
The Federal Government yesterday released the national greenhouse gas emission accounts, which predict Australia's emissions in 2010 will be 110 per cent of 1990 levels - two percentage points higher than the negotiated level of 108 per cent.
The Environment Minister, David Kemp, said although Australia was making "real progress on greenhouse gas emissions" it was still opposed to ratifying the "flawed" Kyoto protocol.
"You can't achieve anything except by hard work and by practical measures," Dr Kemp said.
But the Opposition, Democrats, Greens and environment groups all called on the Government to ratify the international climate change treaty. Labor's environment spokesman, Kelvin Thomson, said meeting the targets but not ratifying was "like a runner out on the track, doing the laps, but determined to miss out on the prize by failing to register for the event or even wear the T-shirt".
The National Greenhouse Gas Inventory for 2001 shows Australia produced 542.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, a drop of 0.4 per cent on 2000 levels and a 0.1 per cent decrease on 1990 levels.
Despite the overall decrease, emissions from the energy and transport sectors increased. Road transport emissions increased by 24.2 per cent on 1990 levels.
The energy sector was the biggest contributor to emissions, accounting for 68 per cent, or 369 million tonnes. This represents an increase of 29 per cent from 1990.
This will increase to 56 per cent over 1990 levels by 2010 on current trends.
Environment groups called on the Federal Government to set mandatory reduction targets for the energy sector.
The executive director of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Don Henry, said such increases meant "voluntary efforts to reduce greenhouse pollution simply aren't good enough".
A Greenpeace campaigner, Frances McGuire, said climate change would not be controlled "until we begin to phase out coal, oil and gas and replace them with clean, renewable energy sources like wind, solar and hydrogen".
Dr Kemp said the energy sector's high emissions were because of Australia's "very successful economy".
Late last night the chances of the protocol coming into effect this year looked unlikely after the Russian parliament decided to delay its decision on ratifying.
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