Australia’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions are the highest of any OECD country and are among the highest in the world. In 2006 our per capita emissions (including emissions from land use, land-use change and forestry) were 28.1 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) per person (DCC 2008d). Only five countries in the world rank higher—Bahrain, Bolivia, Brunei, Kuwait and Qatar. Australia’s per capita emissions are nearly twice the OECD average and more than four times the world average.
energy emissions
In 2006 Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions due to energy were 401 Mt CO2-e (DCC 2008b), which represented about 70 per cent of Australia’s total. From 1990 to 2006, Australia’s net emissions from energy increased by about 40 per cent (114 Mt).
Australia’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions due to energy are the third highest of any OECD country and the seventh highest in the world, after Luxembourg, the United States, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Netherlands Antilles. Australia’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions due to energy in 2005 were about 67 per cent higher than the OECD average and more than four times the world average.
The increasing emissions intensity of Australia’s primary energy supply is largely due to its increasing reliance on coal for electricity generation, at a time when other developed countries have shifted significantly to lower-emissions sources.
electricity emissions
Australia’s per capita electricity consumption is about 22 per cent above the OECD average, while our per capita emissions due to electricity generation are more than three times the OECD average (see Figure 7.9). The difference is due to the high emissions intensity of electricity generated in Australia.
The emissions intensity of Australia’s electricity supply is the highest of any OECD country. It is 98 per cent higher than the OECD average, and 74 per cent higher than the world average
transport emissions
In 2006 Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions due to transport were 79.1 Mt CO2-e using Kyoto accounting provisions. They do not include emissions arising from the generation of electricity used by public transport (trams and electric trains) or from fuel sold to ships or aircraft engaged in international transport (DCC 2008b).
Transport emissions represent about 14 per cent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions. From 1990 to 2006, Australia’s net emissions from transport increased by about 27 per cent (17.0 Mt). The residential sector accounts for about 57 per cent of Australia’s transport emissions. The remaining 43 per cent is attributable to Australian business.
Australia’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions due to transport are the fourth highest of any OECD country and the seventh highest in the world, after Canada, Luxembourg, Netherlands Antilles, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Australia’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions due to transport in 2005 were about 30 per cent higher than the OECD average and nearly four times the world average
agricultural emissions
Under Article 3.1 of the Kyoto Protocol and in accordance with the 1996 IPCC guidelines (IPCC 1996), agricultural emissions are reported according to the following physical processes that give rise to them:
- enteric fermentation in livestock—emissions associated with microbial fermentation during digestion of feed by ruminant (mostly cattle and sheep) and some non-ruminant domestic livestock - manure management—emissions associated with the decomposition of animal wastes while held in manure management systems
- rice cultivation—methane emissions from anaerobic decay of plant and other organic material when rice fields are flooded
- agricultural soils—emissions associated with the application of fertilisers, crop residues and animal wastes to agricultural lands and the use of biological nitrogen-fixing crops and pastures
- prescribed burning of savannas—emissions associated with the burning of tropical savanna and temperate grasslands for pasture management, fuel reduction, and prevention of wildfires
- field burning of agricultural residues—emissions from field burning of cereal, sugar cane and crop stubble.
Livestock emissions from enteric fermentation play a large role in the emissions profile of the agriculture sector. About 34 per cent of OECD countries’ agricultural emissions are due to livestock emissions. This figure is even higher in the countries with the highest per capita emissions from agricultural production—64 per cent for New Zealand, 49 per cent for Ireland and 66 per cent for Australia.
The countries with the highest per capita agricultural emissions are those with the largest numbers of cattle and sheep relative to population.
New Zealand, Ireland and Australia all produce more than 100 kilograms of beef per person per year. The world average is less than 9 kilograms and the OECD average about 22 kilograms. New Zealand, Ireland and Australia produce about 132, 18 and 29 kilograms respectively of sheep meat per person per year, compared with OECD and world averages of about 2 kilograms and 1 kilogram respectively.
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