Australia electric emissions rise after carbon tax ends

Australia’s electric utilities increased their carbon emissions after the country ended its carbon tax last year. 

Emissions from the country’s electricity grid increased by 6.4 metric tons during the last fiscal year, the Associated Press reported Sunday. The data comes from a report by Australia’s Climate Council. 

{mosads}Australia instituted a carbon tax in 2012, but ended it last July after a push from conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott. In its place, Abbott had favored instituting a system to pay polluters that cut their emissions. 

The country had seen its emissions fall by 11 percent the two years the tax was in place, but they increased by 4.3 percent last year. 

The report comes as Australian officials works on a emissions reduction goal ahead of a United Nations climate conference later this year. The Climate Council — which had pushed Australia to reduce its emissions by 30 percent within the next ten years — said the country isn’t doing enough to contribute to to an international climate deal. 

“The news that emissions have gone up in Australia will do little to counter the impression that Australia is acting as a ‘free rider’ on the back of other countries’ efforts,” Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie said, according to the Associated Press.