Zero net emissions were achieved by Tasmania in 2016 however the 2017 data released by the federal government on Thursday shows a 0.9 mega tonne increase from the 2016 figures.

The report from 2017 is the latest data the federal government has available so it's impossible to tell what the emissions is like for 2018 and so far in 2019.

For comparison, Tasmania was releasing 18.1 megatonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere in 2005, which reduced down to zero net CO2 in 2016.

State Environment Minister Elise Archer said on Friday, the government was confident it could meet its zero emissions target of 2050.

"The government has always recognised that our emissions will fluctuate over time but there are a range of emissions abatement opportunities available that will allow the state to maintain an overall zero net emissions target in the future," she said.

Ms Archer said the fluctuations could be from a variety of sources, such as the land use, land use change and forestry sector as well as direct fuel combustion in the manufacturing and construction industries, industrial processes, enteric fermentation from cows and sheep, manure management in the agriculture sector and solid waste disposal in the waste sector.

Climate Tasmania Northern spokesman David Hamilton said the data should not be the only measure of success in reducing emissions and putting the brakes on climate change.

"The data doesn't provide long-term certainty, because it is based on situational circumstances, such as if we have had bad bushfires, that sort of thing," he said.

Mr Hamilton said Tasmania could be a leader in climate change policy, but it would demand courage from its government.

Tasmania contributes 0.2 per cent of Australia's total emissions, compared to the nation's biggest contributor Queensland.

Queensland contributes 30 per cent of the total emissions, with 161.5 megatonnes released into the atmosphere in 2017. In comparison, the ACT, a smaller state, contributed 1.3 megatonnes in 2017.

The state government established the Climate Action Plan 2021 policy which aims to establish Tasmania as carbon neutral among other initiatives, such as rolling out a statewide electric vehicle charging network and working with farmers to improve fertiliser and irrigation practices.

"Under our government, Tasmania is leading the way in regard to emissions and in our growing renewable energy sector," Ms Archer said.

"We are making a major contribution to reducing climate emissions by driving renewable energy developments through our Battery of the Nation proposal, including pumped hydro and new wind farms."

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