Australian data: Greenhouse gas emissions rose in 2021

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s new government has blamed the previous administration’s inaction for an increase in the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions last year. Government data on Monday showed Australia emitted 0.8% more greenhouse gas last year than in 2020. Factors that caused the increase included a 4% rise in transport emissions as pandemic travel restrictions eased and 4.2% more agricultural emissions as rain ended years of drought in parts of Australia. News of Australia’s increasing greenhouse gas emissions comes as climate activist group Blockade Australia kicked off a weeklong campaign of disruption in Sydney. The group shut down the downtown Sydney Harbor Tunnel during Monday morning’s peak traffic period. Police arrested 11 demonstrators.