Scott Morrison To combat global warming, it has announced a historic commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The prime minister will show his ‘unique Australian’ proposition at the crisis-hit climate talks in Glasgow with world leaders later this month.
He said Australia could reach net zero emissions by relying on technology such as solar power and green hydrogen and without imposing any new taxes.
Scott Morrison (pictured on Monday) has announced a commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050
By 2050, Australia’s electricity generation will cause 97 percent fewer emissions than in 2005, using renewable energy but with a small amount of gas-fired electricity remaining.
Nuclear power is off, but Morrison didn’t rule out building more coal-fired power stations.
Australia will find 85 per cent of the way to net zero with existing technologies, while the other 15 per cent will be achieved with ‘further breakthrough technologies’ that do not yet exist.
International and domestic offsets will account for 10 to 20 percent of the reduction in emissions. This could include paying farmers to plant more trees or paying other countries to cut their emissions.
This chart shows how Australia will reach net zero emissions. Forty percent of the shortfall comes from existing Australian technology, 15 percent from global technology, 10 to 20 percent from offsets and 15 percent from technology that doesn’t yet exist.
This chart shows the expected emissions reductions in each sector of the economy. By 2050, Australia’s electricity generation will cause 97 percent fewer emissions than in 2005, transportation will be 71 percent less polluted, industry up to 45 percent less polluted and agriculture up to 36 percent less polluted
Mr Morrison said the plan would create 62,000 regional mining and heavy industry jobs and leave Australian $2,000 better off taking no climate action in 2050.
The prime minister also said that the plan would not raise the cost of electricity or put regional jobs at risk.
‘Australians want action on climate change. They are taking action on climate change, but they also want to protect their jobs and their livelihoods.”
‘They also want to keep the cost of living low.
‘And I also want to protect the Australian way of life, especially in rural and regional areas. The Australian lifestyle is unique,’ he said.
‘It will not impact domestic businesses or the broader economy with the new costs or taxes that we are incurring.
‘It won’t take jobs, not in farming, mining or gas. Because what we are doing in these plans are positive things, which enable things.
Greens leader Adam Bandt, who wants to ban coal and reach zero by 2035, said Mr Morrison’s plan was a ‘hoax’.
‘Net zero is a death sentence by 2050. Morrison’s plan is dangerous and will ruin the future of our children.
The prime minister said Australia was showing global leadership by ‘focusing on how’ by taking a dig at other countries that have signed up to Net Zero without a clear plan.
“There is no blank check here.
“I look forward to discussing this with others overseas because I think the Australian way shows other countries the way to follow,” Morrison said.
‘You know the challenges we face in Australia, especially with the nature of our economy, are not the same as the challenges we face in Indonesia or Vietnam or India or places like that or really China .’
After a week of internal meetings and debate, Barnaby Joyce (center with David Littleproud and Bridget Mackenzie) revealed that his National Party now supports a net zero goal.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor said Australia’s emissions are projected to drop 30 to 35 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
While this is not an updated target, it is well ahead of the government’s current target of 26 to 28 per cent shortfall.
Despite a push from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to turn off coal in developed countries, Mr Morrison said coal-fired power stations could still be built in Australia if they ‘stack up’ and they Comply with environmental laws that exist in states and territories and obtain necessary approvals.’
Following the announcement, the National Party announced that it would support the 2050 net zero carbon emissions target.
After a week of internal meetings and debate, leader Barnaby Joyce revealed that the Junior Coalition Party now supports the goal and declared: ‘I am 100 percent on board with the goal of Net Zero by 2050.’
Citizens worried that regional jobs would be lost in heavy-emitting industries such as coal mining.
If temperatures continue to rise, there could be catastrophic effects here on Earth, including a dramatic loss of marine life, an ice-free Arctic and more regular ‘extreme’ weather.
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