Extract from ABC News
Labor has ruled out any chance its 2030 climate target could be pushed higher if it is forced to negotiate with other parties to form government at the next election.
Key points:
- Labor says it will not adjust its 43 per cent emissions reduction target
- The party's climate change spokesman rejected claims it would negotiate the target in the event of a hung parliament
- The Prime Minister has attempted to brand Labor's 43 per cent commitment as an "opening bid" that could be sent higher
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been quick to attack Labor's weekend commitment to reduce emissions by 43 per cent from 2005 levels by the end of the decade if it wins government, calling it an "opening bid" that could be sent higher if Labor is forced to make a deal with the Greens at the election.
The Greens are advocating for a 75 per cent target for 2030 — and several independents campaigning on climate change action have called for targets to be brought into line with the UN's recommendation to halve emissions by then.
The contest on targets is ultimately about how quickly and drastically the country's worst polluters will be required to go green in order to meet the commitment to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050.
At a National Press Club address, Labor's shadow climate change minister Chris Bowen was unambiguous when asked whether the 43 per cent target was negotiable in the event of a hung parliament at the election.
Mr Bowen offered a single word in response: "No."
He went on to say that it would not be changed, even if a future parliament threatened to reject it.
"That's our target. That's what we'll implement and legislate," he said.
"The parliament can vote it up or down. That will be the legislation that we put to the parliament."
Labor has announced that a key mechanism to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond the government's commitments will be to tighten the Coalition's 'safeguard mechanism', which is already legislated.
The safeguard mechanism sets a limit on the emissions of heavy-polluting companies. If they go above that, they must purchase carbon offsets, but if they fall below the threshold they can sell their credits.
Labor is proposing to gradually lower that threshold until Australia reaches net zero emissions.
The government is arguing any tightening of that mechanism could make energy and resource companies uncompetitive, and threaten their viability.
Mr Bowen rejected that claim, saying the watchdog that oversees the mechanism, the Clean Energy Regulator, would be instructed to ensure that no emissions-intensive industries would be exposed to greater constraints than their competitors.
"That's factored into the modelling," he said.
Mr Bowen was also asked what job losses and coal plant closures were projected in Labor's modelling, to which he responded: "As a result of Labor's policies? Not one. Not one."
Bowen denies policies amount to possible 48 per cent reduction
Mr Bowen also responded to claims that Labor's target may in fact be as high as 48 per cent, based on the modelling done by the party to calculate the effect of its policies.
Labor's modelling, done by RepuTex, calculated that the effect of Labor's policies amounted to a 13 per cent greater reduction in emissions than current policy, totalling a 43 per cent reduction.
However, government modelling suggests Australia is on track to reduce emissions by 30 to 35 per cent over the decade, meaning Labor's policies could result in a 48 per cent reduction, if optimistic projections are realised.
Mr Bowen said the modellers did not consider the optimistic projections to be realistic.
"The modellers advised us that the correct conservative starting point was 30 per cent," he said.
"They regarded that as being the starting point which was defensible from an economic modelling point of view.
"They did not regard 35 per cent as a defensible starting point."
Mr Bowen said 43 per cent was the minimum needed for Australia to have any chance of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
He said if Labor was elected, it would take an updated target of 43 per cent to the United Nations climate change conference, and nothing higher.
The Coalition maintains its 26 to 28 per cent target strikes the right balance, though the country is tracking to achieve better reductions by 2030.
Both Labor and the Coalition have committed to reducing emissions to net zero by 2050.
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