Independent politician Zali Steggall this week unveiled proposed legislation to target zero carbon emissions by 2050, aiming to take advantage of a subtle shift in rhetoric from the conservative Liberal-led coalition government.
Steggall and other crossbench politicians are pushing for all lawmakers to be allowed a conscience vote on the bill. That would enable members of the Liberal Party and main opposition Labor Party who oppose building new coal-fired plants and have constituents pressing for more climate action to unite to pass the legislation.
The issue of climate change has plagued leaders of Australia for the past decade, contributing to the downfall of at least three prime ministers. As the world’s biggest exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas and one of the world’s biggest carbon emitters per person, Australia has also come under fire from global climate activists and the United Nations for not taking more responsibility to curb global warming.
“What it shows is there’s a recognition that climate change is problematic for Australia and we need to take more action to protect ourselves against the consequences,” said Mark Howden, director of the Climate Change Institute at Australian National University.The Business Council of Australia is backing Steggall’s proposed legislation, which includes a call for five-year plans to meet specific emissions budgets, to create certainty for investors.
Protecting those sectors and keeping energy prices down has led to a decade of flip-flops on climate policies. That has left the country on track to miss its emissions reduction target under the Paris Climate Accord, according to the government’s own projections. For Australia to meet its Paris accord target of cutting carbon emissions by at least 26% from 2005 levels by 2030, it needs to cut annual emissions to 462 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent .
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