British PM Boris Johnson hopes to see ‘positive’ moves from Australia on climate change

Boris Johnson has said he is hopeful of seeing some positive action from the Morrison Government on climate change.

Tackling climate change is Boris Johnson’s passion project, the British Prime Minister told New Corp Australia’s Europe correspondent Stephen Drill.

The Conservative Party leader, who has said you don’t have to be a “mung bean munching eco freak” to care about the environment, has banned the sales of petrol vehicles in Britain by 2030 and will phase out coal powered electricity generation by 2024. He has laid down the gauntlet for Australia to sign up to a commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Stephen Drill (SD): Mr Johnson, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hinted at setting a target of net zero emissions by 2050. Would you like to see that set in stone, no ifs, not buts, at COP26 in Glasgow? Or perhaps at the G7 in Cornwall?

Boris Johnson (BJ): “We’re asking all countries to up their ambition on climate change ahead of the COP26 climate summit and aim to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

“If we don’t step up in the next decade and shift decisively to clean energy, catastrophic global warming will be all but inevitable. Australia already does a fantastic job protecting its unique flora and fauna, from kangaroos to wattle trees and bottlebrush, but we’ve also seen the devastating effect of wildfires exacerbated by rising temperatures.

Boris Johnson has made climate change a major priority for his government.

“Net zero will be on the agenda for the G7 in June – we have seen the US, South Korea and Japan recently commit to reaching the target by the middle of the century and I’m hoping to see a positive announcement from Australia.

“In the UK we’ve committed to slash our emissions by 78% on 1990 levels by 2035 and are taking concrete measures to get there, including banning the sale of non-electric vehicles by the end of the decade.”

SD: In November 2020, you outlined your ambitious green industrial revolution plan for 250,000 new British jobs. Is Australia already tapping into the work you have been doing in green technology. Can you see a chance for Australia and Britain to work together on new technologies and projects? Is work on hydrogen being shared?

BJ: “Absolutely we’re going to be working together on this agenda. Between the UK’s bountiful wind and Australia’s enviable sunshine, we have a fantastic opportunity to collaborate on driving forward cutting-edge clean and green technologies.

“We already have shared priorities in hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, and are now actively looking at ways to work more closely together in low-carbon tech and formalise our partnership.

“These industries will be vital not just to efforts to drive down global emissions, but also to futureproof our economies and generate new high-quality jobs from Perth to Penrith.”

SD: Bill Gates said in an interview with Australia’s ABC in February that nuclear power was needed to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Given Australia is a uranium producer, should nuclear power be part of its energy mix?

BJ: “It’s up to each country to determine the right energy mix for them, but it is crucial that we stay focused on the goal of phasing out coal and reaching net zero emissions. Nuclear power stations provide reliable low-carbon energy, which can complement power from renewable sources as we scale up green energy options.

Mr Johnson wants all countries to show more ambition when it comes to climate change policy.

“In the majority of countries, solar and wind is now cheaper than coal or gas power. We’ve seen very encouraging developments in Australia in this area with the cost of battery storage rapidly coming down, making renewable energy increasingly viable and reliable.

“In the UK, I’m pleased to say coal consumption is now at the lowest level since the start of the industrial revolution and we’re bringing forward our target to eliminate all coal-fired power stations to October 2024.”

SD: I understand Britain backed Mathias Cormann into the OECD’s top job. Will that help Australia show leadership on climate change?

BJ: “Tackling climate change is a top UK priority and we pressed all Secretary-General candidates, including Mathias Cormann, to have an ambitious agenda on net zero across the 37 OECD countries.

“I’m looking forward to working with him over the next few years to make the best possible use of the OECD’s skills and expertise to promote effective economic, climate and social policies and shape global standards and norms.”

SD: Mr Johnson, you have previously said you don’t have to be a “mung bean munching eco freak” to care about the environment? Can environmentalism co-exist with economically conservative governments?

BJ: “You don’t need to be an ecowarrior to care about the future of the planet. Protecting our rich nature and biodiversity and promoting cleaner air and reliable fuel sources matter to us all.

“We have already cut our emissions in the UK by 45% on 1990 levels, at the same time as growing our economy. I’ve set out a ten-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution in the UK to help us bounce back from the pandemic, create 250,000 quality jobs and meet our targets to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade.

Nuclear power is part of the UK’s energy mix.

“We want to become the Saudi Arabia of wind, producing enough offshore wind to power every home in the UK. We want to make our homes and public buildings warmer and more energy efficient, protect the natural environment and make the City of London the global centre of green finance. These policies go hand-in-hand with economic growth and prosperity and are at the forefront of my party’s vision for the country.”

SD: Can net zero emissions 2050 be achieved without worldwide carbon taxes? Is technology, not tax, the answer?

BJ: “There are some incredibly exciting innovations in green technology being developed at the moment, from carbon capture and storage to new renewable energy methods. There’s a company in Scotland turning non-recyclable plastic into roads, and you can now get solar panels as thin as a piece of paper. It’s never been easier or cheaper for companies and businesses to go green.

“Investing in clean and renewable technology is one side of the coin – withdrawing support for and raising the cost of dirty and polluting industries is also an incentive.

“Carbon markets, which set limits on emissions and allow companies and countries to ‘trade’ units of unavoidable emissions, are a useful tool in our overall fight to drive down global carbon levels.

“We’re currently looking in the UK at how our net zero transition will be funded, ensuring contributions are fair between households and businesses – a report will be published setting out the plans later this year.”

SD: Will Australia’s planned free-trade deal with the UK boost trade back to the levels of the 1970s when Britain was Australia’s third largest trading partner?

BJ: “The relationship between the UK and Australia is a true mateship. We might be on the other side of the world, but we share unbreakable bonds of family ties, language and culture, as well as a deep-seated belief in the values of freedom, democracy and fair trade.

Australia and the UK are close to signing a trade deal.

“Following our exit from the European Union, the UK is looking outwards around the world as an independent trading nation. There’s a fantastic trade deal to be done between our two countries which will deliver benefits for citizens and businesses across the UK and Australia. We want an ambitious agreement that includes provisions on the industries of the future, like digital and green tech.

“Our negotiating teams, led by Ministers Liz Truss in London and Dan Tehan in Canberra, have been making great progress. I hope that Prime Minister Scott Morrison and I will be able to raise a tinny to our new trading relationship when we meet in Cornwall.”

SD: The UK has already quietly helped Australia with 700,000 doses of vaccines. Given the unprecedented successful rollout in Britain, is it possible that more doses will be shared with Australia, particularly as the Novavax vaccine production steps up at Teesside in northern England?

BJ: “The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented international tragedy, taking a sledgehammer to the lives and livelihoods of people around the world.

“In the UK we’ve had to rapidly scale up our domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity from a standing start and mobilise the whole country, from the National Health Service to the military, to roll out vaccines to the population. We’re on course to vaccinate all adults by July currently, but I’m not complacent in the face of new variants.

“We recognise that COVID-19 is a global problem requiring global solutions, and that vaccines are a key part of that. That’s why the UK contributed £548 million early on to COVAX, the vaccines procurement pool that supports developing countries, and why I’ve said we will share the majority of any surplus doses from the UK’s supply with COVAX.

“We’re also supporting an open and unfettered global supply chain for COVID-19 vaccines. Our hope is that as our capacity for producing AstraZeneva, Novavax and other vaccines in the UK ramps up they’ll be available to send overseas, but that is a question for the manufacturers.”

Australia’s energy policies are coming in for international attention, again. Picture: Toby Zerna

SD: The Queen paid a great tribute to the RAAF on its 100th anniversary in March with a service at Runnymede. How important is the Five Eyes Alliance? Will those links increase as defence and warfare change, particularly as the UK reduces troops but ups spending and technology?

BJ: “The Five Eyes Alliance is one of the cornerstones of the UK’s security policy. We recently published the Integrated Review, a comprehensive look at the UK’s defence and foreign affairs policy, which set out our intention to tilt toward the Indo-Pacific region and strengthen relationships with our traditional allies.

“Australia is one of the UK’s most longstanding partners and we were delighted to celebrate the Royal Australian Air Force this year. Our new Carrier Strike Group of warships will also be deployed to the Indo-Pacific next month and will be interacting with the Australian navy to build our joint capabilities, including through the annual Bersama Lima exercise.

“In an increasingly complex world, with new threats from cyber warfare and a rising China, the UK’s defence and intelligence co-operation with Australia is more important than ever. We want to collaborate on developing our defence capabilities and security technology to ensure we’re fighting fit for the challenges of this century.”

Originally published as British PM Boris Johnson hopes to see ‘positive’ moves from Australia on climate change