Immigration must be cut to tackle climate change, says study
John Masanauskas
July 23, 2008 11:52am
IMMIGRATION must be slashed if Australia has any chance of seriously tackling climate change, says a Monash University study.
The report said Australia's high population growth would be a major driver of greenhouse emissions, and would counter tough government measures to reduce carbon output.
But the Rudd Government and its climate adviser Ross Garnaut were ignoring the population issue at their peril, said the study, entitled Labor's Greenhouse Aspirations, by Monash's Centre for Population and Urban Research.
The nation's migrant intake is at record levels, with the Government recently announcing an increase of 37,500 places for 2008-09.
Given current migration and fertility rates, the population will increase by at least 10 million to 31.6 million by 2050.
Monash researchers Bob Birrell and Ernest Healy used computer modelling to predict the effect of population and economic growth on greenhouse emissions.
If no carbon trading scheme is introduced, Australian emissions will reach 797 million tonnes - or four times Labor's target - by 2050, the researchers found.
Emissions would only fall to 502 million tonnes if the nation managed to cut carbon intensity levels by one per cent a year under a tough cap and trade scheme.
"The problem with radical decarbonisation proposals is the limited political feasibility of these measures,'' the authors said.
"It is hard to understand why the population driver has been ignored in the recent debate, including the work of the Garnaut climate change review.''
The authors said that net migration would contribute to most of the 50 per cent increase in Australia's population over the next 40 years.
"Like all Australians they'll be living at twice the standard of living of current residents if the Government's predictions for per capita economic growth are correct,'' they said.
"Clearly, it's not possible to achieve the Government's target of 60 per cent reduction in emissions at the same time we add an extra 10 million people living at twice the current income level.''
The authors called for immigration to be slashed, and the population stabilised at about 22 million by 2050.
Prof Garnaut has predicted the population will reach 47 million by 2100.
The Monash report, which appeares in the latest issue of university journal People and Place, will be released today.
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More from ABC News:
Migrants to fuel emissions increase: researchers
Researchers have warned that greenhouse gas emissions will increase dramatically as immigration increases Australia's population.
The Federal Government is being accused of ignoring the role of population growth in Australia's increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Monash University researchers predict the population will grow to 31.5 million by 2050, with almost 10 million migrants making up the increase.
That is despite industry groups warning the workforce is set to shrink as baby boomers retire.
The researchers project emissions will grow to 800 million tonnes annually, about four times what the Federal Government hopes to achieve by 2050.
Dr Bob Birrell has told ABC Radio's AM that population growth is the main driver of emissions.
"It is a puzzle as to why the Rudd Government has made no reference, nor its adviser, Professor Ross Garnaut, to this factor," he said.
"I can only deduce from their behaviour that although they would like to achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, it's a lesser priority than population building policies."
Dr Birrell says the environmental and economic effects of the population increase will eventually flow on to consumers.
"Every extra million associated with migration will add to economic activity and thus, greenhouse emissions, and businesses who are vying for permits will have to pay more because of the competition to get those permits," he said.
"That means of course passing on the costs to consumers, or struggling to compete against imports."
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