From: Sharma, Anupam 
Sent: Friday, 10 September 2010 12:37 PM
To: Brine, Matthew
Cc: Horvat, Natalie
Subject: size of abatement challenge [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Hi Matt

I understand that you’re after some figures on the size of the abatement challenge to reach the -5 target (i.e. 144 Mt). 

As an indication, the task of achieving Australia's unconditional emissions-reduction target of 5 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020 would be roughly equivalent to:

•	removing emissions associated with all cars on the road, and nearly half of Australia's electricity generation, in the year 2020 (pg. 77, IGR); 

•	planting new forests equivalent to four times the area of Tasmania by 2020 (pg. 77, IGR).

•	two-thirds of Australia’s total current emissions from the generation of electricity (speech by Martin Parkinson, March 2010)

•	twice our road transport emissions (speech by Martin Parkinson, March 2010)

•	the emissions displaced by 35 snowy hydro schemes (press release from Greg Combet, June 2010)

Cheers

Anupam 

Anupam Sharma
Climate Change and Environment Unit
Industry Environment and Defence Division
6263 2403