Emissions fell last year at 20 per cent the rate needed to achieve Australia’s 2030 reduction targets, prompting the Climate Change Authority to warn more needed to be done to accelerate the establishment of renewable energy generation projects.

But Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen insisted Australia would hit its target. He said government modelling showed policies that Labor had enacted, such as new vehicle efficiency standards and the Capacity Investment Scheme, will contribute to emissions falling 42.6 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030.