Australia climate change bill passes lower house

The Australian federal government's climate change legislation to enforce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction target of 43pc by 2030 from 2005 levels has passed the lower house of the Australian parliament.

The bill was passed after it received support from the Greens party, several independent members of parliament and one member from the main political opposition the conservative coalition government.

Labor introduced its climate change bill into the house of representatives last week. And the bill was voted on today with 89 votes in favour of the legislation and 55 of the 151-seat lower chamber voting against the bill. The legislation raises Australia's GHG emissions cuts from the previous target of 26-28pc.

The bill was passed following a number of amendments proposed by independent members, including that the target of a 43pc reduction by 2030 is a floor and not a ceiling. The bill falls short of the Greens' preferred GHG emissions cut of 75pc by the end of the decade. But the Greens party, the third-largest party in the Australian upper house with 12 senators, is prepared to support the bill to avert inaction and further delays to addressing climate change issues.

The Greens party has four member of parliaments (MPs), which all supported the climate bill, in the house of representatives, where Labor holds 77 seats and does not need the support of minor parties or independent MPs. But in the senate, Labor only has 26 senators in the 76-seat upper chamber. This is less than the 36 held by the main opposition, the Liberal-National party coalition, and Labor requires support from the Greens and independents to reach the 39 votes required in the senate to pass legislation.

Beside the 12 Greens senators, there is the independent David Pocock who is supportive of polices to reduce GHG emissions.

It is unlikely that the climate bill will be voted on today in the senate, and it is expected to be debated in the upper chamber when parliament next sits on 5 September.

Australia is one of the world's largest exporters of LNG, and the second-largest thermal coal exporter. More than a third of the country's GHG emissions come from power generation, where coal fuels more than 60pc of electricity output.

By Kevin Morrison