Conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Tuesday announced cuts to Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, Reuters reported. The world's largest exporter of coal and iron ore will cut emissions by 26-28 percent of 2005 levels by 2030, Abbott said, a target that will be submitted as part of negotiations on a global climate deal in Paris at the end of the year. Australia is one of the largest carbon emitters on a per capita basis due to its reliance on coal-fired power plants. "We've got to reduce our emissions but we've got to reduce our emissions in ways which are consistent with continued strong growth," Abbott told reporters. "The last thing we want to do is strengthen the environment and at the same time damage our economy." Australia is currently aiming to reduce emissions by 5 percent from 2000 levels by 2020.
