Medium-term emissions targets back in Labor’s policy platform

An Albanese government would implement a medium-term emissions reduction target to put the nation on track for carbon neutrality by 2050.

Anthony Albanese visits the bus manufacturer Volgren in Dandenong South in Melbourne on Monday. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Anthony Albanese would implement a medium-term, emissions-reduction target to put the nation on track for carbon neutrality by 2050, under changes to Labor’s draft policy ­platform.

With Labor locked in a contentious debate on climate change policy, the requirement for a medium-term target — likely to be set for 2030 or 2035 — will be reinserted into the draft platform through an amendment sponsored by Left faction heavyweight Mark Butler, the party’s energy and climate change spokesman.

The draft policy platform will be discussed at Labor’s national conference which will be held over two days from March 30, The Australian can reveal.

The medium-term target in the draft platform is unspecified, unlike that taken to the last federal election when Bill Shorten was tied to a 45 per cent emissions goal by 2030. The preliminary draft platform, revealed by The Australian in September, made no mention of medium-term targets as Joel Fitzgibbon and blue-collar unions pushed for the party to focus instead on a net-zero emissions by 2050 goal.

The amendment is likely to sharpen the differences on climate change between Labor and the Coalition ahead of the next election, given Mr Butler argues the government’s policies would not see Australia reach carbon neutrality for 146 years.

ALP president Wayne Swan said there had been amendments to the preliminary draft platform but would not comment on any specific changes. He said there would be more changes made to the platform at the party’s national conference in March.

“Tomorrow is not the end of it but it is the (draft) that will be ­circulated for further work prior to the reconvened conference which we will be having in March,” Mr Swan said.

“It is a rewritten document which has been through a lot of consultation. Tomorrow we will simply be signing off on a draft which will go to the conference in March. The conference is a unique opportunity for Labor to put forward our voice and talk ­directly to people.”

The national platform is ­designed in consultation with delegates representing unions and party members. A Labor government is bound to deliver on its content, which is often purposely open-ended.

Mr Butler’s amendment, read out to The Australian, says Labor would implement a policy to reduce emissions “in line with the Paris Accords goals of limiting global warming to less than two degrees above pre-industrial levels and taking efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels”.

“Labor acknowledges that this will require the Australian economy to reach net-zero domestic greenhouse gas pollution by 2050 and deliver medium-term targets consistent with that goal and the best available scientific and ­economic advice,” the amendment says, according to a source.

Mr Albanese last month left open the option of going to the election without a specific target for 2030 or 2035.

While not committing to a medium-target, the Labor leader said in November that his party would “have a complete announcement, including how we get there, before the election”.

Scott Morrison was snubbed by organisers of a UN climate conference at the weekend due to his refusal to sign up to a zero-net emissions by 2050 target.

The government claims it is on track to exceed its 2030 target to reduce emissions by 26-28 per cent of 2005 levels, despite official projections predicting it will fail to meet those ambitions.

Mr Butler on Monday said a 2030 target would have to be “something north” of 26 to 28 per cent. “Every single piece of analysis said that 26 per cent is simply not adequate to get on a path to net zero emissions by 2050,” Mr Butler told the ABC.