Australian Climate Politics - Net Zero, The Group Assignment

The big week in Australian Climate Politics has already kicked off.  Two weeks out from next month’s United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, COP 26. Which has been described as world’s “last best chance” to avoid catastrophic global warming.

On Sunday, Energy Minister Angus Taylor met with the Nationals party to discuss climate policy and net zero carbon emissions. No position has been resolved.

Net Zero, kind of feels like a Group Assignment the Government has just realised after 8 years is due in 2 weeks and the two leaders are still working on the Intro.

In a previous blog we touched on Cop 26 but for a more in depth and articulate response we recommend reading, What is COP26 and why does the fate of Earth, and Australia’s prosperity, depend on it?  written by Wesley Morgan. 

Australia is under pressure to not only commit to net zero target ahead of the Glasgow summit, but to also adopt more ambitious short-term emissions reductions by 2030  

Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce when asked whether he would support doubling the nations short term targets his answer ‘highly unlikely. Scotty from Marketing actually having a substantial target 2030 target - TCGCo's answer also ‘highly unlikely.’  

Meanwhile 7/10 Australian want Government to take more action on climate and 8/10 of Australia’s leading economists back action to cut Australia’s carbon emissions to net-zero.   

Whilst the Nationals will most likely end up backing the net-zero policy, it could be at the expense of the taxpayer. As for the government they need to agree and legislate on net zero, which includes 2030 targets at a minimum. No doubt there will be ‘announcement’ on this in the next two weeks.          

It looks like the responsibility of yet another thing starting with the letter C will be pushed to the states who have already set 2030 and 2050 targets. The state and territory leaders acting as the pseudo mature aged student who does all work.     

Hopefully, our federal leaders assignment will represents more than the bare minimum, net zero by 2050 and include substantial 2030 targets. Visit https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/ to check out how your MPs vote.