Malcolm Turnbull dumps Paris agreement target

The PM has dumped the government’s plans to legislate the 26 per cent emissions reduction target in a capitulation to rebel MPs.

PM Malcolm Turnbull. Picture Kym Smith

Malcolm Turnbull has dumped the government’s plans to legislate the 26 per cent Paris emissions reduction target in a dramatic capitulation to rebel MPs and Ministers threatening to cross the floor and vote it down.

Instead the 2015 climate change commitment will be mandated through Ministerial order and only after advice from the competition regulator that it wouldn’t increase power prices.

A condition of the order would be that the advice would have to be tabled in Parliament.

The Australian has learned that several of the key MPs threatening to vote against legislating the target were personally briefed by the Prime Minister on the compromise policy yesterday.