PM uses G7 meet to ink new green deals

Scott Morrison is selling his hydrogen and low-emissions technologies climate change strategy to world leaders, sealing new partnerships with Japan and Germany on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

Scott Morrison and Yoshihide Suga. Picture: AFP

Scott Morrison is selling his hydrogen and low-emissions technologies climate change strategy to world leaders, sealing new partnerships with Japan and Germany on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

Mr Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Sunday announced they were in lock-step in their shared ambition to “achieve decarbonisation and a net zero emissions future”.

The Prime Minister and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also announced a new hydrogen compact following their bilateral meeting, building on an agreement signed last year to investigate supply chains between the countries on hydrogen produced from renewable energy.

Mr Morrison told The Australian he was promoting Australia’s “position and our performance and our achievement in reducing emissions” to other world leaders.

“Australia has a strong record of achievement,” Mr Morrison said.

“Performance matters as much as what one’s ambition is and our ambitions will be realised and will be met and they’ll be exceeded. Our commitments out to 2030 are a floor on our ambition, not a ceiling.”

Mr Morrison, who is expected to announce new climate partnerships when he meets British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London on Tuesday, was invited to take part in a G7-plus summit session on climate and nature on Sunday afternoon.

G7 leaders have agreed to launch a new partnership on infrastructure investment and increase international climate finance to “propel global green economic growth”.

The G7 communique was expected to endorse a Nature Compact to reverse biodiversity by 2030, with the British government setting up a Blue Planet Fund to “protect the ocean and marine biodiversity”.

The G7 summit was also likely to resolve to commit to almost halve their emissions by 2030 relative to 2010.

Despite pressure from Mr Johnson and US President Joe Biden for Australia to do more, Mr Morrison said his emissions reduction policies would be set in the national interest.

“I will listen carefully but it will also be the opportunity for me to be clear that Australia’s performance on emissions reduction has been very strong,” he said.

“Performance should count as much as ambition. Australia’s performance makes clear that when we make a commitment, we keep it and we deliver on it.

“And I think that ambition is very important – that is why I’ve said what I’ve said in terms of what we would hope to achieve in terms of a net zero or carbon neutral economy.

“We understand, as does the rest of the world, that the energy economy is going to change dramatically over the next 30 years and Australia intends to be part of that.

“And not just part of it but being incredibly successful in it. Australia has played a huge role in being an energy provider into the Asia Pacific region for a very long time.”

Mr Johnson said “there is a direct relationship between reducing emissions, restoring nature, creating jobs and ensuring long-term economic growth”.

“As democratic nations we have a responsibility to help developing countries reap the benefits of clean growth through a fair and transparent system,” Mr Johnson said.

In a joint statement following Mr Morrison’s breakfast with Mr Suga, Australia and Japan said they considered a technology-led response as being critical to “reducing greenhouse gas emissions while also ensuring economic growth and job creation”.

The statement said Japan and Australia would “provide financial support, as appropriate, to advance initiatives that will contribute to the development and deployment of low and zero emissions technologies”.

The Australian-German hydrogen accord announced on Sunday will include joint investment in projects to support economic growth and jobs, while driving down emissions.