Anthony Albanese lauds Australia as a future ‘renewable energy superpower’
Anthony Albanese has told APEC leaders that climate action, cutting emissions and embracing clean energy are central for Asia-Pacific countries ‘to build new sources of inclusive growth and lasting prosperity’.
Anthony Albanese has told APEC leaders that climate change action, cutting emissions and embracing clean energy are central for Asia-Pacific countries “to build new sources of inclusive growth and lasting prosperity”.
Ahead of a likely G20 summit climate change showdown between advanced economies and major developing countries next week, the Prime Minister used his final APEC speech to promote Australia as a future “renewable energy superpower”.
Speaking at the APEC leaders’ retreat in Lima before flying to Rio de Janeiro for the G20 summit, Mr Albanese said “the global move to net zero represents the biggest economic shift since the industrial revolution”.
“And just as all of us have a role to play in cutting emissions and meeting the challenge of climate change, all our citizens can benefit from seizing the opportunities of clean energy,” Mr Albanese said.
“Making the move to more solar, wind and green hydrogen is essential for us to deal with the threat that climate change poses to our environment, our farmers, our forests, our oceans and rivers and our future food security.
“It’s also an unprecedented chance for our economies to build new sources of inclusive growth and lasting prosperity. My government’s ambition is for Australia to become a renewable energy superpower.”
Global action on climate change will face a major shake-up under Donald Trump, who has pledged to pull out of the Paris Agreement and Green Climate Fund for a second time, after Joe Biden returned the US to the United Nations climate change pacts.
After British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his Labour government was committing to an 81 per cent cut to emissions by 2035, Mr Albanese on Saturday (AEDT) was coy about his own government’s new 2035 target.
“I note that Keir Starmer has just been elected, and he’s come up with the new target. When we just got elected, we came up with a new target, and that’s 43 per cent by 2030,” he said.
“We’re committing to our 2030 target. It’s legislated. 2030 comes before 2035 and we’re very focused on delivering and we’re on track to delivering that target.”
Mr Albanese on Sunday (AEDT) joined other Asia-Pacific leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mr Biden for the traditional APEC “family photo” before they head to Brazil for the G20 summit.
The G20 summit, which overlaps with the UN COP29 climate summit in Baku, will include a focus on climate change with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pushing for a global climate finance target to support developing nations.
In his APEC speech, Mr Albanese said that Australia wants to “use our abundance of affordable and reliable energy to power a new generation of skilled jobs and advanced manufacturing at home”.
Building on the country’s track record as a trusted global energy supplier, Mr Albanese said Australia can become “an exporter of clean energy to the growing economies of the region”.
“Enabling economies undergoing rapid growth to strike the vital balance between realising the benefits of industrialisation and meeting the imperatives of decarbonisation.
“The more we can do to reduce our dependency on uncertain sources, the stronger our economies will be.
“Acting on climate change and embracing clean energy is both the most significant challenge and the biggest opportunity facing all our citizens.”
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