By Alexandra Smith and Max Maddison
The NSW Labor government will bow to Coalition and crossbench demands and legislate an ambitious target of reducing emissions by 70 per cent in a little over a decade as part of its landmark climate change bill.
The major shift in the government’s position comes after NSW Labor promised at the March election to enshrine in law its targets of at least 50 per cent by 2030, and net-zero by 2050.
NSW Premier Chris Minns had dismissed the previous government’s 70 per cent target as “some media release”.Credit: Kate Geraghty
But its Climate Change (Net Zero Future) bill, introduced into parliament last month, did not include an interim target for 2035, which prompted stinging criticism from leading environment groups and Australia’s former chief scientist who said it was an “inexplicable retrograde step”.
In one of his most significant policies before the March election, then treasurer Matt Kean announced in December that the Coalition government’s goal was a 70 per cent reduction by 2035 and the target was written into regulations.
However, Premier Chris Minns told his budget estimates hearing last month that no such target existed, and has previously dismissed the ambitious goal as “some media release”.
The state government has been under pressure over its environmental credentials after it agreed in September to keep Australia’s largest coal-fired power station open beyond 2025. Minns has conceded the path to reaching net-zero emissions in NSW by 2050 will be “very narrow”.
NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe says she has worked across the political divide to land support for its climate change bill.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the government had “worked across the parliament to build consensus” on Labor’s climate change bill, which is expected to pass in the final sitting week in December with a range of amendments from the Greens, the Coalition, Legalise Cannabis and independent MP Mark Latham.
“I thank the opposition and other parties for their genuine engagement,” Sharpe said. “While there is still some work to do, I am confident that this important bill will be passed next week with broad support.”
The Greens spokesperson on climate change, Sue Higginson, who has been working across the political divide to secure amendments, said a recent inquiry found the government’s initial bill was “weak”, with a need for better targets and ambition to reduce emissions.
“Our first priority was to make sure that there were better targets and that those targets were binding. We now have agreement that the interim target, 70 per cent by 2035, will be legislated, but only the 2050 net-zero target, in 27 years will be binding,” Higginson said.
Greens MP Sue Higginson has been working across the political divide to secure amendments to the climate bill.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
“We are mounting pressure over the next few days to make the interim target binding too.”
Higginson said government “had been working with all of us across the parliament and it is clear we all want real action on climate change”.
“But it is now up to the government to prove that they are genuinely committed to the interim target in earnest. It is one thing to put it in the bill, it is another to commit to it,” she said.
Legalise Cannabis MP Jeremy Buckingham said he had “worked co-operatively on amendments that lock into law a series of purposeful greenhouse gas reduction targets as a minimum”.
He said there should also be a capacity for the new Net Zero Commission – which will be created as part of Labor’s bill – and the environment minister “to ratchet up action and go further faster”.
“The amended bill should now pass – anyone in NSW concerned about the climate crisis should be assured we now have a minister and government prepared to legislate and deliver a responsible, ambitious but achievable path to a net-zero future,” Buckingham said.
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