Australia has announced plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70 percent from 2005 levels over the next decade. The pledge is part of the country’s commitment to the Paris climate accord, which requires each nation to submit a plan for cutting heat-trapping emissions by 2035. As a leading coal exporter, Australia’s commitment has been closely watched, particularly given its bid to host next year’s UN climate summit alongside Pacific island neighbors threatened by rising seas.

The announcement comes days after a national climate risk assessment warned that rising oceans and flooding caused by climate change would threaten the homes and livelihoods of over a million Australians by 2050. Climate scientists and activists have expressed concerns that the new target is not ambitious enough, with some arguing that Australia needs to slash emissions by at least 76 percent from 2005 levels to keep global temperatures from rising over 1.5 °C higher than pre-industrial levels.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described the goal as a “responsible target backed by science.” The government has also announced plans to fund a new “Net Zero Plan” to help firms transition to green energy, as well as initiatives to encourage Australians to buy zero-emissions vehicles and access clean energy. However, critics argue that the target is undermined by Australia’s reliance on fossil fuels and ongoing subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.

The Paris climate accord aims to limit global warming to safer levels, and countries are required to submit updated targets for cutting emissions. Australia’s previous 2030 commitment was to cut emissions by 43 percent of 2005 levels. The country has invested heavily in solar power, wind turbines, and green manufacturing, and has pledged to become a renewable energy superpower. However, its green ambitions are at odds with its deep entanglement with lucrative fossil fuel industries, and it remains one of the world’s biggest coal exporters.

The new emissions target has been described as “anti-climactic” by some, given the risks outlined in the recent climate risk assessment. The assessment predicts “apocalyptic scenarios” for Australian citizens if action is not taken to address climate change. Global emissions need to almost halve by the end of the decade to limit global warming to safer levels, and countries are under pressure to submit updated targets and take concrete action to reduce their emissions.