Emissions reductions need to be achieved without leaving communities behind and I am confident that can be achieved.
Independent candidates in Sydney and Melbourne are being backed by wealthy benefactors in the Climate 200 group to challenge sitting Liberal MPs, with the shared goal of shifting the balance of power in parliament to increase Australias climate ambition.
Higgins Liberal MP Katie Allen said it was an environmental and economic imperative for Australia to boost climate action.
We need to power-up not only our plans but our targets as well, Ms Allen said. Ambition is the path to success. And we must be ambitious.
And part of doing that is achieving greater emissions reduction by driving investments into new technologies making them more affordable and reliable while creating the industry and jobs of the future.
Climate scientist and physicist Bill Hare, the director of policy analyst group Climate Action Tracker, said the federal government could release emissions reduction projections exceeding its 26 per cent Paris target, based on the rise of emissions-free renewable energy flooding the electricity grid.
Loading
While there are no mandated emissions reductions under the governments technology not taxes policy, it could release more optimistic emissions projections ahead of Glasgow that assumes clean technology will enjoy rising uptake across the economy into the future.
Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor says Australia is on track to meet and beat its 2030 Paris target, and the government will release an updated emissions reduction projection before the Glasgow summit.
Mr Taylor said in August Australia had reduced its emissions by 20 per cent on 2005 levels, more than the UK and US has to date, and critics should look at the scoreboard.
Annual emissions have fallen by about 122 million tonnes since 2005. Analysis by the Climate Council said emissions saved by reductions to land clearing made up 111 million tonnes of the total.
However, right wing Nationals including Matt Canavan and George Christensen are opposed to emissions reduction targets, and it remains to be seen if the Prime Minister is willing to risk the fight that could result from setting a 2050 deadline or increasing the 2030 target.
Mackellar Liberal MP Jason Falinski said we are going to beat 28 per cent easily, so why not take credit for what we are already going to achieve?
We need to update our targets for 2030 and I support net zero by 2050, Mr Falinski said. Given the economic benefits from transitioning to a clean technology future, we are not doing ourselves any favours by not leading that argument on the world stage.
North Sydney MP Trent Zimmerman said his key goal was to make sure Australia adopts a net zero 2050 target.
It makes sense as part of that, that we need to establish clear milestones on the pathway to 2050, Mr Zimmerman said.
Loading
More ambition in the short to medium term inevitably makes the long term task more achievable and also allows Australia to join the global effort to reduce emissions as soon as possible in accordance with the warnings given in the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
Labor has committed to net zero by 2050. It has not finalised its policy for 2030, but climate change and energy spokesman Chris Bowen said Australia should take a higher medium-term target to (Glasgow) in November.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
Read more from the original source:
Higher ambition: Moderate Liberals urge government to raise climate targets - Sydney Morning Herald
