Big emissions club ‘must join us in climate challenge’: Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison says reducing emissions in China, India and other developing nations is the only way to avoid catastrophic ­climate change.

Scott Morrison says he will not allow regional Australians to carry the ‘burden’ of lowering emissions. Picture: Gary Ramage

Scott Morrison says reducing emissions in China, India and other developing nations is the only way to avoid catastrophic ­climate change, arguing his plan to tackle global warming through “technology, not taxes” would help drive clean energy uptake in emerging nations.

After a UN report released on Monday said it was now “unequivocal’’ that human activity was driving global warming, the Prime Minister said Australia would be part of the solution but would not write a “blank cheque’’ to set an emissions target without a plan to achieve it.

Mr Morrison said Australia would update its 2030 emissions projections going into November’s UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow showing Australia would “meet and beat” its 26 to 28 per cent commitment under the Paris Agreement.

But he said the economic cost of achieving the climate goals would be revealed to Australians “later this year” and updated “before the next election” in a move that challenges Labor to identify its own 2030 targets and knock-on affects for the economy.

Mr Morrison’s push followed the release of a landmark report for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warning that global temperatures were on track to exceed 2C above pre-­industrial levels by the end of the century. “Unless we can get the change in the developing countries of the world, then what we’re seeing in these IPCC reports will occur,” Mr Morrison said. “So, we need to take a different approach. We need to focus on the technological breakthroughs that are necessary to change the world and how we operate.

“It is also a clear fact that China’s emissions account for more than the OECD combined.”

Under the Paris Agreement, China and India are not ­required to cut emissions immediately because they are developing nations.

Mr Morrison, who is resisting international pressure to lift Australia’s targets, would not say whether he would use the ­Glasgow summit to formally commit to carbon neutrality by 2050 or create new targets for 2030 and 2035.

However, The Australian understands the government is preparing new climate change goals, even though the Prime Minister is reluctant to use the word “target” for any change to the 2030 commitment.

Mr Morrison is working to strike a deal with the Nationals under new leader Barnaby Joyce allowing Australia to formally adopt a 2050 zero-net emissions target. In June, G7 nations collectively agreed to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 “at the latest” and to halve emissions from 2005 or 2010 levels by 2030.

More than 130 countries have committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, while the goal is also supported by major business including BHP, Fortescue Metals, Telstra, the major banks and the National Farmers Federation.

Mr Joyce said he would not ­endorse a 2050 target until he saw modelling showing how it would be achieved and proof that it would not have an adverse impact on the regions. “The IPCC reports have a clear view of what they want to do but they don’t have a clear view of what it costs,” Mr Joyce said. “I’m sure if they said ‘the way we can achieve this objective was by closing three lanes of the Sydney Harbour Bridge’, people in Sydney would have a distinctly different view of whether we should follow their proclamations.”

Mr Morrison provided an assurance on Tuesday he would not allow regional Australians to carry the “burden” of lowering emissions.

“We, of course, will be updating ... what we expect to achieve in 2030 when the Glasgow summit is held,” he said. “I won’t be signing a blank cheque on behalf of Australians to targets without plans.”

Divisions remain within the Coalition over the climate challenge, with the IPCC report being labelled “alarmist hyperbole” by Liberal senator Gerard Rennick, while Liberal MP Jason Falinski called for the government to sign up to net-zero emissions by 2050 ahead of the Glasgow summit.

“The question for our side of politics is: this is happening whether we like it or not, do we want to be part of the solution or have the solution imposed on us?” Mr Falinski said.

“Because the truth is, I would much prefer to have Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce manage my transition to net-zero than Anthony Albanese and Adam Bandt.”

Under the Paris Agreement, global leaders have committed to work towards keeping temperature increases “well below” 2C beyond pre-industrial levels and preferably no more than 1.5C. The IPCC report warned that the prospect of limiting global warming to 1.5C would be out of reach within 12 years at current rates of greenhouse gas emissions.

With Mr Morrison’s climate targets set to come under the global microscope before Glasgow, he said the spotlight should instead focus on how wealthy nations could encourage the global take-up of low-emission technologies.

“We cannot ignore the fact that the developing world accounts for two thirds of global emissions, and those emissions are rising,” Mr Morrison said.

“It’s not enough for the technology to work with a tax in an advanced economy. That doesn’t solve the problem, because it doesn’t solve the problem in India. It doesn’t solve it in India, in Vietnam, or in Indonesia or in China or in South Africa.”

Energy Minister Angus Taylor said Australia would lead the world on low-emission innovations such as clean hydrogen, soil carbon, green steel and clean aluminium.

Labor has committed to a net-zero emissions by 2050 target but is yet to unveil ambitions for 2030 or 2035.

Opposition assistant climate change spokesman Pat Conroy said the party would announce “strong medium term policies ahead of the next election”.