Greens’ coal, gas ban an ‘offer, not an ultimatum’ for Labor

A ban on new coal and gas mines is an ‘offer, not an ultimatum’, the Greens leader says as he leaves the door open to allow the Albanese Government to pass its key emissions reduction policy.

A ban on new coal and gas mines is an “offer, not an ultimatum”, Greens leader Adam Bandt said as he left the door open to allow the Albanese Government to pass its key emissions reduction policy without the moratorium.

Mr Bandt on Wednesday said the Greens would pass Labor’s proposed changes to the safeguard mechanism, the central pillar to its plan to reduce emissions 43 per cent by 2030, without any further changes if it banned new coal and gas mines.

The proposal puts the Greens at loggerheads with the government, which has indicated it is not willing to support the ban but needs the Greens’ support in the Senate to pass its changes to the safeguard mechanism.

Greens leader Adam Bandt. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The mechanism is a carbon cap-and-trade scheme which will progressively lower the maximum emissions for Australia’s 215 highest emitters, which Labor says will reduction the nation’s emissions by 205 million tonnes.

Mr Bandt said the Greens would overlook other concerns they had with the safeguard mechanism if Labor backed the coal and gas ban.

“Coal and gas are fuelling the fires, the droughts and floods that are hitting his country. You can’t fix a problem while you’re making the problem worse,” he said.

“The Greens have put an offer to the government to put aside our concerns about the safeguard mechanism and back the whole scheme with one amendment. That is that the government stops opening new coal and gas mines.”

But, Mr Bandt said the position was “an offer, not an ultimatum”, leaving room for further negotiations.

“We’re prepared to work with the government in good faith to arrive at a position that might not go as far as we would (like),” he said.

“This question of this government’s burning desire to keep opening new coal and gas mines is a sticking point.

“They need to work with us … If the government wants the Greens’ support in the Senate, everyone’s going to have to move a bit.”

The Greens took no new coal and gas to the negotiations over legislating a 43 per cent emissions reduction target, though ultimately conceded that point.

Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones described the demand as one that can’t be met and urged the Greens to work with the government.

“What we don’t want to see is a return to 2009 where the Greens ganged up with the then Coalition parties to scuttle the carbon pollution reduction scheme and put climate policy back a decade,” Mr Jones said.

“Making demands that can’t be met simply is not going to help anybody who is committed to reducing carbon pollution in this country.”

Originally published as Greens’ coal, gas ban an ‘offer, not an ultimatum’ for Labor