The response from climate scientists to the government’s announcement of a new emission reduction target of 62 to 70 per cent on 2005 levels by 2035 was immediate and savage.

“It’s worse than I feared,” said Bill Hare, one of the founders of the non-governmental policy institute, Climate Analytics, adding that a 2035 target of 76 per cent is necessary for Australia to align with the goal of holding warming to close to 1.5 degrees.

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has acknowledged that some global warming is inevitable, but the hotter it gets, the worse it will be. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

“It’s baffling that in the same week the government could release a terrifying document warning Australians of a grim future if global warming continues … and then turn around and agree to a tar

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