Scott Morrison ‘isolates’ Australia on climate

Labor says Australia is globally isolated on climate change after Scott Morrison was snubbed by a virtual United Nations summit.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been snubbed by a virtual United Nations summit over the government’s refusal to commit to a zero-net emissions by 2050 target. Picture: AAP

Labor says Australia is globally isolated on climate change after Scott Morrison was snubbed by a virtual United Nations summit over the government’s refusal to commit to a zero-net emissions by 2050 target.

Opposition climate change spokesman Mark Butler said most of Australia’s trading partners had made the mid-century emissions commitment which was “critically important in the fight against climate change”.

He claimed that, based on the government’s policies, it would take “146 years to meet net-zero emissions”.

“This is a commitment Scott Morrison must make. His pig-headed refusal not to commit to net zero emissions by 2050 will continue to see Australia isolated globally and it will come at a huge cost to jobs and investment opportunities being lost,” Mr Butler said.

“He should simply do it now. The great trading nations of the world are already there. They are rolling out their plans … to transform their economies.

“There is a race on around the world. It is a race to harness the biggest share of the trillions of dollars of investment and millions of new jobs.”

‘There is a race on around the world. It is a race to harness the biggest share of the trillions of dollars of investment and millions of new jobs’: Mark Butler. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Leaders of nearly 80 nations addressed the online summit over the weekend, including Britain, France, China, India, Canada, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan.

Government sources say Australia has done more to reduce emissions than many of the nation’s that spoke at the summit, with emissions down by 13 per cent from 2005 to 2018, compared to increases in the carbon footprint of China, Israel, Singapore, South Korea and Finland.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the COVID-19 pandemic gave the world a chance to reset on climate policy.

“COVID relief and recovering investments can spur a green transition,” Mr Guterres said.

“Pandemic recovery and climate action must be two sides of the same coin.

“The true test of leadership today is to show climate ambition, take climate action, mobilise climate finance and demonstrate climate solidarity.”