Australian political partner wary of deeper GHG target

The prospect of Australia deepening its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ambitions by 2030 before the start of this month's UN Cop 26 climate meeting in the UK's Glasgow is looking increasingly unlikely, with the junior political party in the federal coalition government still unwilling to budge on targets.

Australia has been urged to deepen its nationally determined contribution for GHG emissions at 26-28pc below 2005 levels by 2030. But the National party, which represents mainly rural areas, has ruled out any change on the 2030 target and has yet to agree on a net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 goal.

"We are not in the Liberal party room, we are in the National party room and we won't be held hostage," National party leader and deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce said after his party's meeting on 17 October to discuss the targets.

The coalition's senior party, the Liberal party, has shifted its stance on GHG emissions. Yet the National party knows it does not have to alter its position unless it extracts large financial compensation for its electorates, as the government only has a one seat majority in the lower house of parliament and can ill afford a split in the coalition.

The debate within the National party has to balance its concerns about the coal mining regions and onshore gas-producing regions it represents with the prospect that regional Australia may be one of the beneficiaries of the country's energy transition. Renewable energy zones (REZs) being built in regional areas will host large-scale wind and solar power farms. These REZs are expected to generate an increasing share of the country's electricity supplies and provide energy to an increasing list of hydrogen projects.

The Tasmania state government last week released draft legislation to target net-zero GHG emissions by 2030. Tasmania joins four other Australian states with more ambitious GHG emissions reduction targets than the federal government's target. The combination of the state pledges equate to GHG reductions of 34pc by 2030 from 2005. The Greens party wants Australia to reduce GHG emissions by 75pc by 2030 from 2005 levels.

By Kevin Morrison