AGRICULTURE is the biggest source of carbon emissions across the region, new data shows.
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In just 12 months, 2,313,900 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions were produced across the Cowra, Forbes, Parkes, Hilltops and Cootamundra-Gundagai local government areas (LGAs).
The CO2 Emissions Snapshots for municipalities in Australia report for 2017 shows that Hilltops produced by far the most emissions of these council areas at 850,200 tonnes.
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Coming in next was Cootamundra-Gundagai at 387,000, Forbes at 373,200, Parkes (367,400) and Cowra (336,100).
Agriculture accounted for 64 per cent of emissions in the Hilltops LGA, this was followed by 62 per cent in Forbes, 61 per cent in Cootamundra-Gundagai, 50 per cent in Cowra and 44 per cent in Parkes.
For these LGAs, electricity was the next biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, with Parkes in front at 29 per cent, followed by Cowra (26 per cent), Forbes and Cootamunda-Gundagai which were both (19 per cent), and Hilltops (18 per cent).
There are many things we can do, we just need to get onto them.
- Farmers for Climate Action's Peter Holding
Transport accounts for between 14-24 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions in these LGAs.
Farmers for Climate Action's Peter Holding said "we're still struggling to get people to accept climate change".
"It's not really a scientific problem any more ... it comes down to an ethical decision about whether we're going to do anything about it," he said.
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"There are many things we can do, we just need to get onto them."
Mr Holding said there were huge areas for improvement and governments on all levels must "focus on the right thing".
He said some farmers who were struggling through the crippling drought were yet to be convinced that climate change exists.
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"If you're under that much drought stress you're only worried about getting through the next day, not what's happening in 20 years," Mr Holding said.
Cropping farmer from Parkes Neil Westcott said the data was a huge concern.
"Everyone, ideally, has to attempt to have a neutral carbon footprint, that's part of the real change that has to happen over the next decade," he said.
"We should have made changes in the 1950s."