Coalition has net-zero unity, says ALP

Anthony Albanese has attacked the government’s 2050 emissions reduction plan as having ‘net-zero modelling, net-zero legislation and net-zero unity’.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: Gary Ramage

Anthony Albanese has attacked the government’s 2050 emissions reduction plan as having “net-zero modelling, net-zero legislation and net-zero unity” as climate groups expressed alarm that a more ambitious 2030 target was not being taken to the Glasgow climate summit.

The Opposition Leader said Scott Morrison had waited until the “last minute” to unveil his plan before COP26, arguing that it was not genuinely supported by the Nationals or it would have been launched jointly with Barnaby Joyce, who spoke against it in his partyroom on Sunday.

Mr Albanese also seized on Queensland Nationals senator Matt Canavan’s warning that the net-zero target could not be binding on future Nationals partyrooms or parliaments as part of his pledge to campaign against the policy at the election.

“The only reason why there is not going to be legislation about net zero by 2050 … is because the Coalition would be embarrassed by the number of their own members who would cross the floor,” he said. “Two days before the Prime Minister jets off to Glasgow for the most important international conference on climate change this century, he has come up with this non-policy which has no new ­initiatives.”

Opposition climate change spokesman Chris Bowen took aim at the lack of ambition on the 2030 target, which Mr Morrison said would remain at 26-28 per cent despite projections showing Australia could get reductions of up to 35 per cent. “All we’ve seen after six years is still the same target, Tony Abbott’s target,” he said. “What we saw wasn’t a plan, it’s a scam. I’ve seen more detail in a fortune cookie then in documents released by the government.”

Investor Group on Climate Change chief executive Rebecca Mikula-Wright said the 2050 target set an important long-term signal to investors but expressed concern at the lack of an ambitious 2030 target.

Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie said “net zero by 2050 is a joke without strong emissions cuts this decade” but Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott said the new target was a “chance for Australia to draw a line under the last decade of ­division”.

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Andrew McKellar said the plan gave “confidence to business, workers and regional communities”.