Over the weekend, the state of Victoria announced a collection of new climate targets. They’re relatively straightforward. The state’s leadership has already cut the state’s emissions by 24.8% up to the end of 2019 (compared to 2005 levels), and is promising to further cut emissions by 28-33 percent by 2025 and 45-50 percent by 2030.
It has drawn a mixed range of responses. Business groups welcomed it, hailing it as “sensible”, while environment groups have challenged it, criticising it as insufficient.
It is worth diving briefly into why this argument exists, and what it means for the key stakeholders of the climate change problem (that is, anyone living on the surface of planet Earth).