According to the yearly report from the university, Australia’s environmental performance worsened in 2023, but it was still better than several other countries.

Although 2023 broke records as the warmest year worldwide, Australia experienced its eighth warmest year due to wetter and less extreme weather.

The Australian Environment 2023 Report, conducted annually by the Australia National University (ANU), presents the findings of their research.

Scientists utilize scientific data to assign a numerical rating to Australia, with a maximum of 10. In the year 2023, the score decreased to 7.5 from the previous year’s score of 8.7.

The decrease was largely attributed to a decrease in precipitation compared to 2022. They emphasize that the evaluation is not a reflection of the actions of the Canberra government, but a comprehensive evaluation of the state of the environment.

The annual score is determined by combining weather data with satellite data regarding species at risk, biodiversity, and water flow.

According to the study, there was a significant decrease in Australia’s biodiversity last year. The study found that 130 species were added to the Threatened Species List, which is much higher than the typical annual average of 29 species.

The university study reports that Australia experienced a “rapid” population growth of 3.5% in the previous year, the highest increase in decades.

According to the study, Australians rank as the 10th highest emitters of greenhouse gases per capita in the world, following closely behind Saudi Arabia.

According to Professor Albert Van Dijk of the Australian National University’s Fenner School of Environment, the country’s greenhouse gas emissions have risen after a five-year decline due to a resurgence in domestic air travel following the COVID pandemic.

“Our individual emissions have been gradually decreasing, although at a slower rate compared to other industrialized nations. However, with our population rapidly increasing, our emissions reduction is outpaced by this growth. Therefore, we are not meeting the necessary targets for emissions reduction as a country.”

According to the ANU’s yearly report, Australia ranks as the 15th biggest producer of greenhouse gases in the world, making up 1% of the total global emissions.

According to Van Dijk, as a prosperous country, Australia has a responsibility to take greater action to address the consequences of climate change.

According to the speaker, our country is not doing well in terms of adopting electric vehicles and utilizing renewable energy sources compared to other countries. In fact, our emissions per person rank 10th highest globally, which is three times higher than the global average and twice as much as the average person in China.

He stated that nations such as the UK are taking greater steps to decrease the amount of emissions per individual.

Australia needs to make a significant effort to improve its actions. I strongly believe that we should be extremely concerned about the state of the environment worldwide, specifically regarding climate change.

The Australian government has passed a law setting a goal to decrease carbon emissions by 43% compared to 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.