Net zero showdown looms
THE Nationals will hand their demands to Scott Morrison on Thursday to safeguard regional Australia in the transition to net zero, with one cabinet minister warning it “will be ugly” if the Prime Minister ignores their concerns.
Deputy Nationals leader David Littleproud said while he “aspirationally” supported Mr Morrison’s plan to take a 2050 target to next month’s Glasgow climate summit, his colleagues wanted to prevent any “unintended consequences”.
But even if the 2050 target is locked in, Australia will still rank last among wealthy developed countries for its emission-reduction pledges and performance, according to a new report from the Climate Council.
Former United Nations secretary-general Ban Kimoon said Australia was “falling behind its own states and territories, its trading partners and other comparable nations”.
“The world is now looking to Australia to take its place amongst the international community and lift its national ambition on climate,” he said.
Mr Littleproud said the Nationals would ask for technology upgrades and regulatory reforms to boost regional areas instead of demanding “billions upon billions upon billions of dollars”.
“That’s not responsible. We think we can achieve it by being smarter than that,” the Agriculture Minister said.
Regionalisation Minister Bridget McKenzie, who is one of four ministers along with Mr Littleproud, Kevin Hogan and Keith Pitt tasked with coordinating the party’s response to Mr Morrison’s plan, said they were “carefully considering” it.
She warned Mr Morrison against moving without the support of the Nationals.
Asked about her comments, Nationals leader Barnaby
Joyce said they were not “grandstanding” and wanted “the best outcome for regional people”.
Mr Morrison vowed to protect jobs in the regions, adding that there was “no mystery at all” about Australia maintaining its existing 2030 emissions-reduction target.
But chief climate councillor and former Australian of the Year Tim Flannery said net zero by 2050 was “last year’s story” and Australia’s allies were now focused the “scale and pace of action” this decade.
Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama agreed, saying failure at Glasgow “could spell the loss of entire low-lying Pacific nations”.
New analysis from the Clean Energy Council, which will also be released on Friday, shows Australia could deliver a 44.5 per cent cut to emissions by 2030 if it committed to an energy sector completely powered by renewable technology by the end of the decade.