Key points
- Sussan Ley prioritises energy affordability
- National Party also abandons net-zero target
- Australia’s “climate wars” hinder emissions policy progress
SYDNEY: Australia’s main opposition party announced on Thursday that it would abandon the country’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 if it came to power.
The centre-right Liberal Party has been debating in recent weeks whether to drop the climate pledge, which was introduced by the party’s former leader, Scott Morrison, during his time as prime minister in 2021.
On Thursday, current opposition leader Sussan Ley stated that her party remained committed to “responding to climate change in a way that is affordable, responsible and achievable,” reports AFP.
“We are not pursuing net zero, we are pursuing energy affordability and emissions reduction,” she said.
“Net zero would be welcome,” but she added that the target would be achieved without government intervention.
This decision follows just days after the Liberal Party’s conservative coalition partners, the National Party, voted to abandon their own net-zero target by 2050.
Official stance
The coalition will meet on Sunday to finalise its official stance.
Australia’s ongoing “climate wars”—a protracted domestic dispute over emissions policy—have hindered progress, and the country continues to rely on its fossil fuel industry for economic growth.
In contrast, the centre-left government in Canberra has invested billions in solar energy, wind turbines, and green manufacturing, with plans to transform the nation into a renewable energy powerhouse.
It has also committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70 percent from 2005 levels over the next decade.
