Do Garnaut’s targets add up?

On Friday, 5 September 2008, Professor Ross Garnaut released his much awaited supplementary draft report on targets and trajectories. The report argues that Australia's mid- and long-term targets should be to reduce emissions net of international trading by 10 per cent from 2000 levels by 2020, and 80 per cent by m2050. This, we are told, is a proportionate contribution to the ‘achievable' international goal of stabilising the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases at 550 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e). This lecture, Do Garnaut's targets add up? An analysis of the Garnaut Review's targets and trajectories recommendations, explored whether the proposed national targets are consistent with the goal of stabilising atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at 550 ppm CO2-e and whether the risks associated with his 'overshoot' strategy have been fully explored.