Greens vow election climate blitz on Liberals and Labor

When Scott Morrison commits to net zero by 2050, the Liberals and Labor will ‘have the same climate policy’, Greens leader Adam Bandt says in an exclusive interview.

Adam Bandt says ‘if you agree with 50 per cent you’re saying the Great Barrier Reef is gone’. Picture: Gary Ramage

Greens leader Adam Bandt says Labor must adopt a minimum 50 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030 or “run the risk of fighting the last election and getting the same outcome”, warning the Great Barrier Reef will be ­destroyed if ambitious medium-term goals are abandoned.

In an interview with The Australian ahead of the Glasgow climate change conference, Mr Bandt said when Scott Morrison commits to net zero by 2050, the Liberals and Labor will “have the same climate policy”.

With Anthony Albanese preparing to come under assault from the Greens and environmental groups on a stronger medium-term target, Mr Bandt said 2030 remained the “main game” and “anything less than 50 per cent is giving up on the Paris agreement”.

“But even 50 per cent means the death of the Great Barrier Reef. So … if you agree with 50 per cent you’re saying the Great Barrier Reef is gone,” Mr Bandt said.

Anthony Albanese is preparing to come under assault from the Greens and environmental groups on a stronger medium-term target. Picture: Gary Ramage

“Things have moved on. We’ve had the drought, we’ve had the bushfires. At the moment, Labor’s policy is to expand coal and gas together with the Liberals. They run the risk of fighting the last election and getting the same outcome. People have moved on and … want climate action.”

Energy Minister Angus Taylor will release updated projections showing Australia is on track to exceed its commitment to cut emi­ssions by 26-28 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030.

While the Coalition will not formally change Australia’s Paris commitment, Mr Albanese has refused to confirm whether he will recommit to Bill Shorten’s 2019 election pledge to reduce emissions by 45 per cent by 2030.

Mr Bandt said the Greens, which want a 75 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030 and net zero by 2035, would pressure Labor in the final weeks of parliament to join them in blocking the development of the Beetaloo gas basin, which he described as “more polluting than Adani”.

The Melbourne MP revealed the Greens were preparing to launch an advertising blitz targeting Liberal MPs in inner-city seats including Kooyong, Higgins, Ryan and Brisbane, telling voters “if you vote Liberal, you get Barnaby (Joyce)”.

“People in Kooyong might have thought having the Treasurer would mean that you’d take action on climate but instead, as we’re finding out, it’s Barnaby Joyce who determines what the government’s position on climate is. We’ve got the ads raring and ready to go,” he said.

“Our message in inner-city and regional Labor and Liberal seats … is that we’re in a climate crisis — neither Labor nor Liberal have strong 2030 targets and both support expanding coal and gas.”

He said if the Greens hold the balance of power after the election, they would “kick the Liberals out and push the next government to go further and faster on climate”. “That will involve making sure Australia does its fair share and also that we have no more coal and gas.”

Mr Bandt agreed the regions would be hardest hit but believed new mining jobs would help resources communities.

“The best job for a coalminer is another mining job. We’re still going to need mining, and in fact we are blessed with so many of the minerals that are needed in the ­renewable economy,” he said.