Australian prime minister coming to COP26 despite divisions
Australia’s prime minister has confirmed he will attend the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow next month, despite his government remaining bitterly divided over a draft plan for the country to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Morrison said his government's next climate plan would protect the interests of "rural and regional" Australians who complain that they have borne the brunt of previous reforms. He said: "It's not just about hitting net zero. That's an important environmental goal.
"What's important is that
Australia's economy goes from strength to strength."
The conservative government aims to reduce Australia's emissions to net zero and preferably by 2050, but has not committed to that target.
Australia has not budged from its 2015 pledge at the Paris climate conference to reduce emissions by 26 per cent-28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 ahead of climate talks in Glasgow, despite many countries adopting far more ambitious targets.
The major obstacle to tougher action on climate change in Australia is the government's rural-based junior coalition partner, the Nationals party.
Australia achieved its reducscott tion goals under the former Kyoto Protocol in the late 1990s through restrictions on land clearing, which the Nationals complain placed an unfair financial burden on farmers.
Morrison's cabinet considered new greenhouse gas reduction measures at a meeting on Wednesday. But a majority of Nationals MPS will need to approve that plan at a crucial meeting tomorrow.
Deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, who leads the Nationals, said his colleagues would approach a net zero target with caution. Mr Joyce said Australia's rural regions had been "swindled" under the Kyoto Protocol.