Australia votes for climate action with rejection of coal-loving PM Scott Morrison
- The election result represents a remarkable shift. Defeated PM Morrison once mocked Labor by brandishing a lump of coal in parliament to score politics points
- ‘Together we can end the climate wars,’ incoming PM Anthony Albanese said in his victory speech, foreseeing Australia as a ‘renewable energy superpower’
The country’s biggest polluters in mining, oil and gas and building materials face a gradual tightening of allowed carbon emissions, while Labor aims to boost demand for electric vehicles and speed up renewable-energy developments.
The election result, with the pivotal role climate change played, represents a remarkable shift for Australia, one of the world’s biggest per capita carbon emitters and top coal and gas exporters. It was shunned at last year’s Glasgow climate summit for failing to match other rich nations’ ambitious targets.
“Together we can end the climate wars,” incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in his victory speech. “Together we can take advantage of the opportunity for Australia to be a renewable energy superpower.”
Albanese has said Labor would maintain its target of cutting carbon emissions 43 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030, already much tougher than the outgoing conservative government’s Paris target of a cut of up to 28 per cent.
With votes still being counted, Labor is short of a majority in the lower house of parliament, so may need the support of an expanded cross-bench. Even with an outright majority, it could face a fight in the Senate, where it will likely need to work with the Greens to pass legislation, including the 2030 emissions target.
“Now the battle will be over ambition in short-term targets, legislating a plan so it’s out of the hands of any one government, and hitting pause on new fossil fuel mines,” said Richie Merzian, climate and energy head at the Australia Institute think tank.