With all the political talk about emissions targets, it is hard to get a solid reference point.  Here is one such reference.  Taking the long term sustainable emissions level from the Stern Review (UK Government 2007), we find that a 97% emissions cut will ultimately be required in Australia’s case.

According to the UK Government’s Stern Review(2007), the earth can, in the long term, absorb emissions of about 5 billion tonnes per year of CO2 equivalent, or 0.75 tonne/person/year based on the world’s current population of 6.8 billion.

This would require a 97% cut on Australia’s 27 tonne/person/year emissions.