Let’s be honest: Australia’s claim to have cut climate pollution isn’t as good as it seems

The Tasman Bridge in Hobart during bushfires in 2019. ‘The claimed change in Australian land emissions cannot be assumed to be permanent due to the risk of them being wiped out in a drought, fire or flood,’ writes Adam Morton. Photograph: Rob Blakers/AAP

Australia has a problem with greenhouse gas emissions – a bigger problem than the political debate concedes.

Late last week, as Australians endured record August warmth and global heating-fuelled extreme rain, the federal government released data that suggest heat-trapping gases across most of the economy are currently headed in the wrong direction or yet to budge much from historic highs.