Australia’s main opposition, the Liberal Party, has abandoned its previous policy of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, citing the high costs of achieving it, according to Tom Major of Argus. If elected, the party plans to remove both the 2030 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% from 2005 levels and the 2050 net-zero goal from the Climate Change Act. Instead, the Liberals propose reducing emissions in five-year blocks, prioritizing energy affordability, and relying on emerging technologies like carbon capture. The decision follows a similar move by their Coalition partner, the Nationals, and contrasts with the Labor government’s aggressive emissions reduction plans, which aim for a 62-70% cut by 2035. The next federal election must be held by May 2028. Major writes:
Australia’s main parliamentary opposition the Liberal Party has dropped its four-year-old policy of targeting net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, citing the expense of meeting the goal.
If elected, the Liberal Party will remove the 2030 target of cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 43pc from 2005 levels and the target of net zero emissions by 2050 from the Climate Change Act, leader Sussan Ley said on 13 November, accusing the Labor government of lying to the public on electricity prices and the cost of the energy transition. […]
The decision comes days after the Liberals’ minority partner in the federal Coalition, the Nationals, agreed to dump a commitment to a legislated net zero emissions goal.
Australia’s Labor prime minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the nation’s GHG reduction goals since 2022, recently unveiling a 62-70pc emissions reduction plan by 2035. Labor dominates the federal parliament and is likely to govern until 2031, in concert with the left-wing Australian Greens in the nation’s upper house, the senate.
Australia’s next federal election must be held by 20 May 2028, but the Coalition is considered unlikely to return to power, having won just 43 out of 150 seats at this year’s poll.
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