Australia is on track to meet recently beefed up climate action targets once a raft of new measures, including a A$15 billion (S$13.9 billion) national reconstruction fund, is implemented, the government said on Thursday.
Australia was for years an international laggard on efforts to prevent climate change.
But the recently elected Labor government has increased the target to reduce emissions to 43 percent by 2030, from up to 28 percent by 2030, after the party won power in May for the first time in almost nine years.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Thursday the target of a 43 percent reduction in emissions would be hit once various proposals are implemented.
These include an electric vehicle strategy and the A$15 billion national reconstruction fund currently before parliament.
“I’m pleased with how much the government has achieved in our first six months,” said Mr Bowen in parliament.
An inaugural climate change statement tabled by Mr Bowen on Thursday, which did not include those proposed policies, said that emissions were on track for a 40 per cent fall by 2030, slightly below target, assuming a series of reforms and targets still subject to consultation and design are implemented.
A baseline scenario, in which those reforms and targets are not implemented, would see a 32 per cent reduction in emissions, the panel said.
To stay on track for a target of net zero by 2050, Australia needs to cut emissions over the next eight years by a similar amount to what was it has cut over the past 18 years, the panel said.