The Liberal Party has agreed to scrap its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, a target first set under the Morrison government. The decision came after a meeting of shadow ministers on Thursday, following a party room meeting where a majority of members opposed maintaining the target.
The party also decided to repeal Labor's 2030 emissions reduction legislation but will remain in the Paris Agreement. Instead, the Liberals will set five-yearly interim targets from government and aim to reduce emissions year-on-year 'in line with comparable countries and as fast and as far as technologies allow without imposing mandated costs.'
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley stated that net zero would be a 'welcome' outcome but not an active goal. 'Our emissions reduction goals will never come at the expense of Australian families,' she said. Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan emphasized using 'all natural resources,' including coal, to lower energy prices while reducing emissions.
The decision aligns the Liberals more closely with the Nationals, who earlier abandoned their net zero support. Representatives from both parties will negotiate ahead of a Sunday meeting to finalize a joint position. Nationals leader David Littleproud welcomed the Liberal stance, saying it 'mirrors' the Nationals' position.
Senior moderates like Andrew Bragg and Tim Wilson argued to keep the target, while conservatives including deputy Ted O'Brien and leadership rivals Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie opposed it. Former prime minister Scott Morrison set the 2050 target in 2021 after similar internal debate.
