Despite its contributions to the world's total carbon emissions, Australia can lead the way toward zero-carbon prosperity while United Nations negotiations are at a standstill, a report from Beyond Zero Emissions suggests.

The report, "Laggard to Leader," proposes that Australia institute a moratorium on new fossil fuel developments as the centerpiece of a global campaign to phase out fossil fuels.

They say that the country's "immense" sphere of influence over emissions - due to high domestic greenhouse gas output - and the growing coal and gas exports would be ideal to lead the world's "decarbonization."

The concept views that reducing carbon emissions must be a shared responsibility for many of the emissions that occur in any one place. In addition, the efforts must be done in smaller groups, focusing their efforts on the individual sectors and processes that cause emissions.

"It would be one of the few conceivable ways that any single country could jolt world leaders into action, creating the economic and political momentum to commence immediate global discussion on the best and fairest means to phase-out fossil fuels," the report said.

Solar and wind energy are also instrumental to the success of the decarbonization, and with the help of Germany and other European countries' investments, the technologies' prices are now cost-competitive with fossil fuels in many markets. An estimated 65 percent drop over the past six years has been brought on by Germany's s installation of almost 30 gigawatts.

Another crucial technology, concentrating solar thermal with storage, is seen to have similar success with Australia's sunny weather - paired with smart policies and targeted investments - and make the technology cost-competitive with fossil fuels as well.

"Cheap renewable energy will solve some of the most challenging problems facing humankind this century - from climate change, to oil scarcity, to energy poverty - and allow us to build a global economy on foundations as reliable as the rising sun," the report said. – EcoSeed Staff