Aussie Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Fiddles While Australia's Energy Security Burns. Note this is a satirical photoshopped image.

Is Australia Deferring 2035 Climate Targets Until After the US Election?

Essay by Eric Worrall

Does US taxpayer cash drive the global climate movement?

Australia may delay release of 2035 climate target as world awaits outcome of US election

Experts urge Australia not to delay target too long as report by Climate Change Authority identifies six barriers to net zero

Adam Morton Climate and environment editorThu 5 Sep 2024 14.48 AEST

The Australian government may delay the announcement of a 2035 climate target until after the February deadline and beyond the next election, in part due to uncertainty about the ramifications of the US presidential election.

Some big emitting countries are lagging in developing their 2035 emissions reduction targets, which under the Paris climate agreement are due before the UN climate summit in Belém, Brazil, in November next year.

Major investors said they were comfortable with countries delaying target announcements if it meant they did the work to make a commitment that was “aligned with science” and reaching “for the highest possible level of ambition”.

Globally, governments are watching the US election before finalising their 2035 commitments. Observers believe Kamala Harris will quickly announce a target if successful but Donald Trump, who has called the climate crisis a “hoax”, has said he would again pull the US out of the Paris deal.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/05/australia-2035-climate-change-target-cca-net-zero

Is the entire global climate movement a political chimera driven by US taxpayer cash? Is the world dancing to America’s tune?

OK probably not the entire climate movement. European nations like Germany have proven entirely capable of shooting themselves in the foot without US help. But Europe is a declining power, their ability to influence global events is crumbling thanks to their demographic decline and their inability to bring down industrial costs such as the cost of energy.

The USA calls the shots with global climate policy, now and for the foreseeable future.

Of course, regardless of the expediency of the hour, Australian politicians are still betting heavily on a Kamala victory. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese picked an outspoken critic of President Trump as Australia’s ambassador to the USA back in 2022, and has repeatedly defended his decision, despite Trump’s climb in the polls.

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Alexy Scherbakoff
September 7, 2024 10:22 pm

Why are we(as Australians) sucking up to the US? The current crop of arse-licker politicians should go to the US to live.

Alexy Scherbakoff
Reply to  Eric Worrall
September 7, 2024 10:48 pm

Better there than here. We don’t bend to China (that much). We shouldn’t be bending to any other countries either. We should be following(creating) Australian policy, not just accepting what the US are doing.
We are not a US state.

Reply to  Alexy Scherbakoff
September 8, 2024 1:06 am

Our pathetic politicians are incapable of formulating positive policy for the benefit of Australians. They are self-serving drongos who do what powerful socialists direct them to for their own ambition.

Rich Davis
Reply to  Alexy Scherbakoff
September 8, 2024 5:22 am

Right you are mate. Say it with me.

Ao
Da
Li
Ya 亚

That’s the name of the Chinese province you live in.

Reply to  Eric Worrall
September 8, 2024 4:27 am

CA, NY, and Wokeachusetts will probably welcome them.

Tom Halla
Reply to  Alexy Scherbakoff
September 8, 2024 5:57 am

We have quite enough home grown sillyass greens we do not need to import them, thank you.

Eng_Ian
Reply to  Tom Halla
September 8, 2024 3:01 pm

You’re not importing them, we’re dumping them.

Rich Davis
Reply to  Eng_Ian
September 8, 2024 5:21 pm

Well I was going to say we’d put them up in a 5-star hotel, give them a mobile phone, food stipend, maybe subsidise a home mortgage. But then it occurred to me that they may speak English and be white guys.

September 7, 2024 10:39 pm

Major investors said they were comfortable with countries delaying target announcements if it meant they did the work to make a commitment that was “aligned with science”

Meaning?

Alexy Scherbakoff
Reply to  Mike
September 7, 2024 11:01 pm

Major investors = sharks

Bryan A
Reply to  Alexy Scherbakoff
September 7, 2024 11:07 pm

Major Investors aka
Subsidy Farmers
And
Subsidy Miners

Alexy Scherbakoff
Reply to  Bryan A
September 7, 2024 11:09 pm

You got it.

Tom Halla
Reply to  Alexy Scherbakoff
September 8, 2024 5:58 am

Tapeworms are a better analogy.

Alexy Scherbakoff
September 7, 2024 11:54 pm

There are a number of people on this website that proudly announce that they have rooftop solar, and get/got subsidies to do so.
You guys are the lowest of the low.
You guys increase the cost of electricity to everyone.
You guys incresae the cost of goods to everyone.
Your attitude is ‘fuck you Jack, I’m making money.’
You are the people that promote renewables.
I dearly hope you a-holes lose money.
There are a couple I know of.
Be aware that I think you are an a-hole when I read your post.

Reply to  Alexy Scherbakoff
September 8, 2024 12:40 am
Alexy Scherbakoff
Reply to  MyUsername
September 8, 2024 12:47 am

You are an idiot. I don’t effin live in Spain. I live in Australia where the retail cost of electricity is increasing. I don’t give a shit about wholesale prices. I don’t pay wholesale for my electricity. Nobody does.
Do everyone a favour and perform a retroactive abortion on yourself.

Reply to  Alexy Scherbakoff
September 8, 2024 1:05 am

When you provider doesn’t has to lower prices when wholesale prices fall it’s not a renewable problem. Mine has to. So maybe vote for politicans that are not hidden fossil fuel shills.
And now take a nap when you are angry. Or eat something.

Alexy Scherbakoff
Reply to  MyUsername
September 8, 2024 1:19 am

I’m having difficulty with your English. Perhaps it’s not your first language.
You clearly don’t understand Australian politics.
I’m not in the slightest bit angry. I just get disappointed when communicating with ignorant children. I’m off to have some wine after eating a delicious dinner and going to watch a French tv series.
Goodnight

Reply to  MyUsername
September 8, 2024 2:37 am

What load of bollocks. Retail prices are not spot prices and do not respond to daily movements in the wholesale price of ruinous energy. By far, the greatest influences on retail prices are ‘firming’ and infrastructure upgrades and subsidies. Who the fk do you think pays ? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not the toothfairy.

Reply to  MyUsername
September 8, 2024 4:13 am

The problem is the MASSIVE COST of stabilising the grid when there is too much erratic power supply on it.

Why are you so incredibly IGNORANT about basically everything to do with energy ??

Looks like you missed out on brain food since you were growing up.

Oh wait.. you haven’t done that yet.

Did you know that basically EVERYTHING in your pathetic little existence, is there BECAUSE OF FOSSIL FUELS !

Reply to  MyUsername
September 8, 2024 4:31 am

And the MASSIVE COST of keeping reliable supplies operation when they are not being paid for electricity the could be producing.

Reply to  MyUsername
September 8, 2024 4:37 am

A study was done of integrating WDE (weather dependent electricity) onto the Vietnam grid.
(They refer to it as VRE, Variable renewable energy… even though it isn’t remotely “renewable” or sustainable)

Horrendously expensive even when the cost to other suppliers, recycling, or more likely disposal costs at end of short life, etc etc.. isn’t factored in properly.

VRE-Costs
Reply to  MyUsername
September 8, 2024 6:53 am

Try not voting for politicians who are hidden renewable energy shills, Russian gas shills, and the like

goebbels
Reply to  MyUsername
September 8, 2024 4:11 am

Nobody cares about your propaganda pap. !

EVERY place where wind and solar infect the grid too much have much higher retail prices.

Germany, Denmark etc etc

In Australia, SA is around 45c, other states are far less.

Reply to  MyUsername
September 9, 2024 3:06 am

The first two paragraphs from your link :

The wholesale price of electricity in Spain during the first half of 2024 was up to 40% lower than it would have been without the investments in solar photovoltaic and wind capacity made since 2019, according to an article published in the Economic Bulletin of the Bank of Spain.

The article, authored by Javier Quintana, analyses the impact of renewable energies on the wholesale price of electricity.

So some “expert” writes “an article” loftily pontificating that a price was “up to 40% lower than it would have been without [ something you like and/or approve of ]” … and you simply accept it as “gospel truth”, with no need whatsoever to check for caveats ?

.

A quick Internet search for wholesale electricity prices in Europe turned up an Ember webpage (direct link), the monthly version of which provided the data for the attached graph.

How does the current wholesale electricity rice in Spain compare to end-2021 and 2022 values ?

What has it been doing since April ?

Spain-electricity_Jan2015-August2024
1saveenergy
Reply to  Alexy Scherbakoff
September 8, 2024 2:25 am

Yes, & I’m one of them.

In the UK, several years ago, ‘our wise, glorious & esteemed leaders’ decided that Britain should show the rest of the world how to win the race to the bottom of the economic pile in the shortest possible time while transferring wealth from the poor to the rich.
This will allow Britain to rapidly return to the halcyon days of the feudal system, where the elites are held in high esteem & the plebs know their place (in unheated hovels).

As a British citizen, it is my duty to assist ‘our wise, glorious & esteemed leaders’ in their endeavour of attaining the green paradise that Ed Milliwatt states awaits us Brits.

I’m also transferring wealth … but into MY pocket instead of theirs !!

Reply to  1saveenergy
September 8, 2024 2:31 am

And, in response, our politicians in Australia said, “Hold my beer! ”

Real probability that Australia will face energy shortages this summer.

1saveenergy
Reply to  Streetcred
September 8, 2024 3:11 am

Looks like the UK will face energy shortages this winter.!
Last year, we imported ~12% of electricity from Europe,
today it’s 25.3%
https://grid.iamkate.com/

& that’s without all the mandated electric cars & heat pumps.

I’ve used cash from the solar FITs subsidy to buy a small generator, fuel & a log burner ( so I can help the trees grow with more CO2 ).

Alexy Scherbakoff
Reply to  1saveenergy
September 8, 2024 3:18 am

You don’t get it.
You are not transferring wealth from the government. 
You are transferring wealth from ‘us’ and not the government.
If you were using solar to reduce your own costs, I would have no objection.
You are receiving money(my money) to pay your electricity bill. That is immoral.
I wish you a painful hangnail.

1saveenergy
Reply to  Alexy Scherbakoff
September 8, 2024 4:58 am

You don’t get it.Yes, I do.

You are not transferring wealth from the government– Agreed, they don’t have wealth (or integrity).

You are transferring wealth from ‘us’ and not the government. – Agreed

If you were using solar to reduce your own costs,
I would have no objection. – Good That’s what I’m doing.

You are receiving money(my money) to pay your electricity bill. -YES

That is immoral. – YES, take it up with the government who introduced the green subsidy schemes.

I wish you a painful hangnail.
And may the Haemorrhoids be with you !!

Reply to  Alexy Scherbakoff
September 8, 2024 4:37 am

Wokeachusetts is pushing solar on homes- very hard.

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/solar-alternative-energy/reviews/solar-incentives-massachusetts

“Many Massachusetts residents saw their electricity bills increase significantly in the past year. National Grid customers saw a 29% increase to their basic service rate at the end of 2023, and Eversource customers found out in early 2024 that their utility bills would be raised to compensate for other customers’ unpaid balances. It’s not surprising that many homeowners in Massachusetts are considering moving to solar energy to reduce energy costs.”

Perhaps people in this state should ask why their bills went up 29% rather than look for subsidies and tax breaks- which will drive the cost up more for those who don’t get solar on their roofs.

Reply to  Joseph Zorzin
September 8, 2024 10:17 am

Trump’s”Drain the Swamp” rhetoric found followers but the “She’s a bitch” routine probably isn’t going to appeal to a big enough audience.

image
Reply to  DMacKenzie
September 8, 2024 1:40 pm

is that a camel disguised as a wolf?

Last time Trump was elected, we know Trump tried to do what he said he would do.

We KNOW what the camel has done in the past and what it has supported.

There is no doubt witch one is doing the LYING. !!

1saveenergy
Reply to  bnice2000
September 10, 2024 2:04 am

bnice, don’t get the hump !!

Reply to  Joseph Zorzin
September 8, 2024 1:59 pm

Trump is just threatening pulling out of the IPCC to make he gets his cut.

He will be onboard the IPCC program as soon as that happens.

He’s buddies with Elon Musk, the EV maker now and now says EVs are incredible.

Reply to  scvblwxq
September 8, 2024 2:45 pm

“Drill, Baby, Drill” is the IPCC’s mantra?

Rich Davis
Reply to  scvblwxq
September 8, 2024 5:32 pm

You’re missing half the story, alphabet. He also says that they aren’t for everyone. Have you been in a Tesla? It’s a very nice car. Why should he lie and say otherwise?

Walter Sobchak
September 8, 2024 5:10 am

Australians vastly overestimate the amount that Americans know or care about Australia. The only thing that Americans know about Australia is Crocodile Dundee, but the lmit of their caring is that they think Hulk Hogan was the star of the movie.

Rich Davis
Reply to  Walter Sobchak
September 8, 2024 6:01 am

Probably true, Walter, as with Canada or the UK. Hell, I would not be surprised if half the country thinks Queen Elizabeth is still the “queen of England”.

Why would Murcans care about crazy politicians from Oz? We have enough worthless clowns like Biden, Harris, Walz who can actually hurt us.

Reply to  Walter Sobchak
September 8, 2024 10:27 am

As a citizen of the U.S., I once admired the spirit of Aussies and the apparent commonsense that was portrayed. I even wished to circle the globe to visit your shores.

Not so much now.

We have similar problems here with our corrupt and divisive politicians but, we’re not there yet.

We are about to have the most important election of my lifetime, maybe ever. If it goes poorly, we will be joining you guys and gals in the sinking ship.

FKH

Reply to  Walter Sobchak
September 8, 2024 11:18 am

I always had the impression that Aussies were down to Earth, common sense types. Looks like I was wrong.

Reply to  Joseph Zorzin
September 8, 2024 1:42 pm

Outside of the main cities.. we mostly are.

Coach Springer
September 8, 2024 6:02 am

The presence of a global climate policy subject to political control of any kind is the ultimate problem.

Reply to  Coach Springer
September 8, 2024 7:15 am

Indeed. But what other excuse serves to justify international control of civilisation via its energy requirements?

Reply to  Coach Springer
September 8, 2024 10:24 am

Using CC to establish political control was Maurice Strong’s UN objective.

“Isn’t the only hope for the planet that the industrialized civilizations collapse? Isn’t it our responsibility to bring that about ?” – Maurice Strong.

Rich Davis
Reply to  DMacKenzie
September 8, 2024 5:43 pm

The de-coded version would be “Isn’t the only hope for global communism that the industrialised civilisations collapse? Isn’t it our responsibility to bring that about?”

bobclose
Reply to  DMacKenzie
September 9, 2024 7:29 am

Yes Doug, IPCC Climate science has always been all about politics and the environment, and very little to do with any real climate issue. They have their fixed agenda towards political control, it’s no wonder after 40 years they have not been able to establish any validated empirical evidence towards AGW, despite all the $billions of dedicated but wasted research. Simply, any existing climate and energy crisis has been caused by ignorant, if well-meaning politicians, pretending to save the planet, but not properly assessing the costs, real if any benefits or actual downsides of their compulsive policies.

It’s well past time to close down their climate process scam, defund the related UN NGOs and associated Paris Agreement policies and media propaganda that is causing so much mental and economic trauma on the most vulnerable in our western societies, specifically children and the poor. Enough of this global nonsense, it doesn’t pass the Pub test!

September 8, 2024 8:10 am

First sentence question in the above article:
“Does US taxpayer cash drive the global climate movement?”

Answered with this question: Does a bear take a walk in the woods?

Or perhaps this: Follow the money.

Reply to  ToldYouSo
September 8, 2024 10:36 am

Maybe you are being politically correct but, the quote uses different wording.
The “take a walk” part can be replaced with a single word that means expelling the end product of the excretory system.
The same word can also describe what has replaced a lot of the grey matter in most politicians craniums.

FKH

ntesdorf
September 8, 2024 4:02 pm

The lead illustration shows Australia’s Prime Minister Sleazy Albanese fiddling while Australia’s Energy system burns.

Westfieldmike
September 9, 2024 1:41 am

There is a youtube channel that tales the micky out that idiot, it’s hilarious.