After last week, Anthony Albanese and his Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen are entitled to a great sigh of relief. They made it through without anyone noticing what a weak job they’re doing of protecting our children and grandchildren’s future.

They began the week belatedly releasing an official report telling in shocking detail just how bad our lives will become if we and the other rich countries fail to do enough to stop global warming. They ended the week setting a target aiming to do insufficient over the decade to 2035.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.Credit: Wolter Peeters

They offered a masterclass in convincing people you’re doing something to fix a problem when, in reality, you’re doing more to make it worse than make it better. If there was an Oscar for fooling the punters, these guys would win it.

And how did they do it? By waving around % signs. As required by the Paris climate change agreement of 2015, we have committed to reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses by 43 per cent of their 2005 level by 2030.

In readiness for the next United Nations climate change conference in Brazil in November, we’ve had to set a target for further emission reductions by 2035. And last week the target was revealed: further reductions to between 62 per cent and 70 per cent of the 2005 level.

Brilliant. Those people who don’t care about climate change could grumble that 62 per cent is too much, while those who do care about it could complain that 70 per cent is too........

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