Data released on Friday showed Australia's emissions continued to grow in the December quarter, which refuted the expectation of climate experts who believed it as the only advantage of the economic downturn.

"It should have been decreasing by now but it's still up there," the Climate Institute's chief executive John Connor said, adding emissions have rose by 800,000 tons in the December quarter.

Connor said he wouldn't be surprised if emissions fell for the March quarter, but cautioned against false hopes that the economic downturn would slash emissions.

Climate adviser Ross Garnaut recently suggested the economic crisis would buy at least two years of "breathing space" for Australia's emissions.

According to Australian Associated Press, experts had tipped the economic slowdown would shrink Australia's carbon footprint because there would be less industrial, agricultural and construction activity.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2009)