Australia's greenhouse gas emissions increased by nearly 1 per cent in 2015, a federal government report quietly released in the lead-up to Christmas showed. The Climate Council said the increase showed Australia urgently needed to transition to renewables and justified calls for a worldwide moratorium on new coal mines.

Australia emitted 549.3 mega-tonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide in 2014-15, up 0.8 per cent on the year before but down nearly 3per cent on projections. Emissions increases were recorded in the electricity, transport, fugitive emissions and industrial and power generation sectors and offset only by a strong decline in agricultural emissions.

Combined with emissions from land use and deforestation the overall increase in emissions on the previous year was 1.3 per cent. Credit:Michele Mossop

Combined with emissions from land use and deforestation the overall increase in emissions on the previous year was 1.3 per cent.

The Coalition pledged at the Paris climate talks, where it was agreed to restrict warming to no more than 1.5 degrees, to reduce Australia's emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2030.