Peter Dutton backs next zero emissions by 2050

Peter Dutton backs Australia becoming carbon neutral by 2050, says he’s hopeful a deal with the Nationals could be struck within days.

Peter Dutton provided an assurance the government would achieve the net zero by 2050 objective in a way that provided certainty for regional communities. Picture: Getty

The government’s leading conservative Peter Dutton has backed Australia becoming carbon neutral by 2050, saying he was hopeful a deal could be struck with the Nationals over the next few days.

Speaking on the Nine network on Friday, the Defence Minister said “from my perspective, I want zero 2050” but provided an assurance the government would achieve the objective in a way that provided certainty for regional communities, including those in his home state of Queensland.

“I think we can arrive at an agreement and this will happen over the next few days but I think it’s incredibly important that the Nats are allowed to have their party room, to discuss it, to air all of these issues,” Mr Dutton said.

“There is no sense Labor telling people one thing in the inner city suburbs and then the complete opposite when they go out to regional areas. We’re dealing with the reality of it.

“We want to see electric vehicles, we want to see renewables. We want to see industries that are sustainable, we don’t want to destroy jobs and our economy which is what Labor is promising to do at the moment.”

Labor deputy leader Richard Marles attacked Scott Morrison for taking too long to commit to net zero by 2050, describing it as “utterly astonishing, given that that’s really the underpinning principle of the Paris Accord.”

“You’re looking at miners, you’re looking at the NFF, you’re looking at the BCA, states all around Australia, all who have committed to net zero by 2050, a whole lot of them have gone further than that,” Mr Marles said.

“The people who are lagging behind are the federal government. It’s obviously important to be looking after regions, we need to be doing that. Mining still has an absolutely positive future in this country. But we need to be thinking about the jobs that we are going to lose if we don’t take up the opportunity of really developing renewable energy.”

Mr Marles said that Australians needed to consider the warnings that had been sounded about “how a global economy will penalise us if we don’t move down the path of zero net emissions by 2050, and what means in terms of jobs right across the country.”

“This shouldn’t be anywhere near as hard as it is. And it’s because the Government’s party room is in complete disarray and, at the end of the day, that is a function of Scott Morrison’s utter inability to lead.”