Labor leader Anthony Albanese announces plan to cut greenhouse emissions by 43 per cent by 2030

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has announced a major election vow, with Aussies set to head to the polls within months.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has committed to taking a tougher 2030 climate change target to the next election.

The ALP is announcing today a commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 if it wins the next federal election.

The new target – agreed to at a meeting of Labor MPs – exceeds the forecast of a 35 per cent reduction by 2030 – which Prime Minister Scott Morrison took to the international climate summit in Glasgow last month.

The formal adoption of Labor’s new climate change policy will set the scene for a rally in Sydney this weekend as Labor starts campaigning for the 2022 election, which is expected to be held in March or May.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to budge on the Coalition’s official target of a 26 to 28 per cent reduction on 2005 emission levels by 2030.

However, that’s a target the Morrison Government is on track to meet and beat, hence the updated forecast announced in the lead-up to the Glasgow climate change summit of a 35 per cent ‘forecast’ by 2030.

Promising to deliver “safe change”, Mr Albanese told The Daily Telegraph today that Labor will act on climate change responsibly.

“People know me,” he said.

“I offer safe change. People know what I stand for, my values.

Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has announced an ambitious climate policy. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

“We’ve seen with the Liberal-­National Party Coalition that you can have a minority in the National Party hold the entire Coalition government to ransom for vetoing something like [updating a climate target] to 30 to 35 per cent emissions reductions on 2030 levels.”

Labor’s new policy, which is expected to be announced shortly, will also aim to defuse a potential scare campaign on the price of petrol.

Mr Albanese is expected to dump a plan to set new fuel standards amid fears the Prime Minister will argue it could increase petrol prices.

The fuel standards policy and the ALP’s electric vehicles policy was weaponised by Prime Minister Scott Morrison to suggest that Labor wanted to “end the weekend”.

Mr Albanese said the Morrison Government had been held to ransom by the Nationals. Picture: Annette Dew

But Greens leader Adam Bandt said the ALP plan did not go far enough. He warned the Greens would push Mr Albanese to go further if he is forced into a minority government at the next election.

Labor needs to pick up at least seven seats to win government.

Mr Bandt said Labor’s target is not consistent with the science of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, the goal set out in the Glasgow Climate Pact.

“Labor has given up on climate,’’ he said.

“Labor’s backdown shows the only way we’ll get climate action is kicking the Liberals out and putting Greens in balance of power to push Labor to go further and faster.”