Greg Hunt confirms Australia has 'officially' met its 2020 climate goal

The environment minister says result boosts government's credibility but analysts and campaigners say the target was always too low

Australia has already met its 2020 greenhouse emissions reduction target, an outcome the government claims enhances its credibility ahead of the Paris climate summit next week, but analysts and climate campaigners say is proof the target was always far too low.

Having foreshadowed for weeks that revised greenhouse projections would mean Australia had already met its 2020 target, the environment minister, Greg Hunt, has confirmed the official figures, showing Australia is 28m tonnes of greenhouse abatement ahead of what it needs to reach the target of a 5% reduction by 2020 based on 2000 levels.