On global emissions, China is responsible for 28 per cent, the US 15 per cent, Europe 11 per cent and India 7 per cent. Of the four biggest emitters, China and India have made no Paris commitment to reduce their total emissions and the US has pulled out.
Australia, with all the huffing and puffing by Turnbull is responsible for just 1.3%.
As the Chief Scientist said last year when asked at senate estimates, if Australia shut down entirely to pre 1788 conditions, our act of economic self harm wouldn’t make a scrap of difference.
So with neither China or India paying any notice to Paris and with America pulling out all together (collective total of emissions 50%) anything Australia does is nothing other than high minded, lofty virtue signalling while trashing and vandalising the economy.
For the record. CO2 = 0.04% of the total global atmosphere (or 400 parts per million.) Humans contribute 3% of that 0.04% and Australia contributes 1.3% of that 3% of that 0.04%.
Instead of parts per million think of it as dollars:
Total dollars $400. Human contribution of the total is $12 (3%) Australia’s contribution of that $12 is $0.156 (1.3%)