Trade, climate and security on G7 table

Boris Johnson will increase pressure on Scott Morrison to finalise interim and long-term climate change targets that would set Australia on a path to achieving net-zero emissions before 2050.

The UK Carrier Strike Group flexes its muscles … seaborne deterrents to China’s aggression will be discussed at next week’s G7 summit.

Boris Johnson will increase pressure on Scott Morrison to finalise interim and long-term climate change targets that would set Australia on a path to achieving net-zero emissions before 2050.

The British Prime Minister will make climate change his top priority at next week’s G7 leaders’ summit in Cornwall alongside the response of developed economies to the Covid-19 pandemic and escalating geostrategic competition fuelled by China and Russia.

Separate to the climate talks, Mr Morrison and Mr Johnson are preparing to announce an agreement in principle for a landmark UK-Australia free trade deal when they meet at Downing Street following the G7 summit.

The Australian understands the in-principle agreement would establish a framework to finalise Britain’s first major post-Brexit trade deal by the end of the year.

The Morrison government, which has a low-emissions strategy based on its technology investment road map, is planning on releasing Australia’s long-term emissions reduction strategy before the Glasgow United Nations Climate Change summit in November. Mr Morrison is not expected to make major climate change announcements during his week-long trip to Singapore, Britain and France.

British High Commissioner Vicki Treadell confirmed climate change would top the G7 agenda.

In April, Mr Johnson committed to “the world’s most ambitious climate change target” of reducing emissions by 78 per cent by 2035.

Ms Treadell said the UK would be pushing other countries to turn their climate promises into action.

“The real solution is for all ­nations to have a high level of ­ambition, not just for net-zero by 2050,” she said.

“We ourselves, we talked about international leadership, you have to walk the talk.”

Ms Treadell said Mr Johnson had made this point to Mr Morrison during a phone call last month when he urged him to sign up to net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Australian understands the UK-Australia FTA, likely to be a precursor to Britain joining as a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, is expected to be signed in the second half of the year and come into ­effect sometime next year.

Australian and British officials, led by Trade Minister Dan Tehan and his UK counterpart Liz Truss, are working on ironing out issues over tariffs and agricultural products, headlined by beef.

Ms Treadell said Britain’s relationship with Australia had never been so strong and flagged the two nations were working “at record speed” to have an in-principle agreement ready ahead of the June 15 meeting between Mr Johnson and Mr Morrison.

China is expected to feature prominently in discussions between world leaders in Cornwall and at Mr Morrison’s planned bilateral meetings next week with US President Joe Biden, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Cyber security will be another focus, with China and Russia ramping-up their disinformation, disruption and targeted critical ­infrastructure operations.

Ms Treadell said China was an important country and Westminster would continue to work with Beijing on key issues such as climate change.

However she said Britain was equally “clear eyed” about the ­relationship and would speak out on issues such as human rights abuses, challenges to the rules-based global system and acceptable norms of behaviour.