Dutton’s delayed nuclear policy separate to broader energy plan as Coalition hardens stance against 2035 target

Liberals supportive of setting ambitious medium-term targets concede Nationals MPs would ‘go off the reservation’ if the Coalition committed to new 2030 or 2035 goals.

Nationals leader David Littleproud says “the end game is not 2030 or 2035” but net zero by 2050, through a transition from coal to nuclear with gas and renewables. Picture: Supplied

The Coalition’s delayed nuclear energy plan to be unveiled after the budget won’t include any new emissions reduction targets, as Nationals and Liberal MPs harden their stance against adopting a 2035 target or revised 2030 goal.

While Peter Dutton and his climate change and energy spokesman Ted O’Brien are leaving open the possibility of announcing interim emissions reduction targets as part of a broader energy policy to be released separately to the nuclear blueprint, Nationals leader David Littleproud said 2030 and 2035 targets weren’t important.

Liberals who are supportive of setting ambitious targets now concede Nationals MPs would “go off the reservation” if the Coalition committed to new medium-term targets.

“I don’t think a 2030 or 2035 target is important,” Mr Littleproud said. “What’s important to the Australian people is what will be our end game. We met the target we took to the last election.

“We don’t need a (updated) 2030 target because we’ll have a significant structural change to the energy grid that will put a lag on the up-front reductions because there’ll be bigger reductions at the back end.”

Nationals deputy leader Perin Davey said there’d been no talk of updating the Coalition’s 2030 target of 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels, which will be met, and she was not expecting any new targets to be announced. “As far as I’m aware, our position hasn’t changed. We’re happy with (net zero by) 2050, striving towards 2050 but we think that setting any arbitrary targets for 2035 is not the best way to achieve the 2050 targets,” Senator Davey said.

Labor is to announce a 2035 target under the Paris Agreement in the first quarter of next year, with formal advice from the Climate Change Authority, which released an initial 2035 target range of 65 per cent to 75 per cent below 2005 levels, expected in October.

The government legislated its 2030 target of 43 per cent.

Mr Littleproud acknowledged Labor’s 2030 and 2035 targets would be binding under the Paris Agreement but said there was no “punitive penalty” for failing to meet them.

Senator Perin Davey. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Coalition energy spokesman Ted O'Brien. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Under Paris, signatories can adjust targets “with a view to enhancing its level of ambition”, meaning the Coalition would breach the agreement first signed up to by the Abbott government if it adopted lower 2030 or 2035 goals. There is a widespread view within the Coalition the opposition should go to the election with no revised 2030 target or 2035 target, despite pressure from investors and business to outline an emissions reduction plan and deliver certainty.

Mr O’Brien, who on Friday acknowledged there’d been no decision by the Coalition partyroom to remain signed up to Paris with Labor’s 43 per cent 2030 target, said the opposition would release its energy plan “in due course”.

“We are committed to the Paris Agreement and we’ve made it very clear we will have a pathway to reach net zero by 2050,” he told Sky News. “Do you truly believe it’s responsible to try to talk about plucking a target out of the air or agreeing with the government’s existing target?”

Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie said the onus was on the Albanese government to come up with a 2035 target but declared it would “lack any credibility” after the CCA warned Labor was not yet on track to meet its 2030 goal.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says Australia can lower emissions by 42 per cent by 2030 through existing policies like the expanded Cap­acity Investment Scheme, not included in the CCA’s projections.

“At some point, Labor is going to have an epiphany that the only way we can get to 2050 as a nation is to have nuclear in the mix alongside renewables,” Senator McKenzie said. “At the moment Mr Bowen can only achieve his targets by incinerating private property rights, scarring the environment, and causing economic dislocation to regional communities.”