Australia’s carbon pollution has recorded a slight decline in 2012, according to the National Greenhouse Accounts released by the Federal Government.

The Accounts show that despite the growing economy, carbon emissions were down in largely because of the electricity generation sector’s improved performance.

The nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions fell 0.2 per cent for the year to December 2012 – a period that saw a 3.4 per cent growth in real GDP.

The Accounts show that Australia produced 551.9 million tonnes 2012, down from 553.2 million in 2011.

“For the major sectors covered by the carbon pricing mechanism – electricity, other stationary energy, fugitives, industrial process emissions and waste – emissions decreased by 1 per cent over the six months to December 2012 compared with the same period in 2011,” Federal Minister for Climate Change Greg Combet said.

“Carbon pollution from the electricity generation sector accounts for 36 per cent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions. For the first two quarters of 2012-13, national emissions from this sector were around 14 million tonnes lower, on an annualised basis, compared with emissions for the same period in the previous year.”

The Accounts show a ‘modest growth’ in emissions from a range of other sectors, driven by Australia’s economic growth and resources investments.

The full report can be found here