Letter

In response to Environment: Australia’s exported greenhouse gas emissions are double our domest

Greenhouse gas emissions from imports

Peter Sainsbury rightly draws attention to Australia’s huge exports of greenhouse gas emissions in the form of fossil fuels for combustion overseas. In addition, we must consider the emissions embodied in our imports of fossil fuels in the goods and services we purchase that are made overseas.

It has been estimated that they are similar in magnitude to our official emissions, that is, greenhouse gases emitted within Australia. We can reduce our imported emissions, as individuals, by buying Australian, and, as a nation, by using renewable energy to manufacture more goods within Australia.

— Mark Diesendorf from BEROWRA HEIGHTS, NSW