Anthony Albanese says Labor will not support a moratorium on fossil fuel projects because doing so would have a “devastating impact on the Australian economy”.
Ahead of the introduction of legislation on Wednesday enshrining Labor’s 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction targets, the prime minister told ABC TV on Tuesday night a moratorium was “the policy of the Greens”.
“That’s not in our policy and we won’t be implementing that policy,” Albanese said. “We won’t be supporting it because that would have a devastating impact on own economy.”
When it was put to the prime minister that failing to stop fossil fuel exports would ultimately mean an increase in greenhouse emissions that would make it hard to contain global heating to 1.5C, Albanese said: “That’s not right.”
“If Australia today said we are not going to export any more coal, what you’d see is a lot of jobs lost, you would see a significant loss to our economy, significantly less taxation, revenue for education, health and other services, and that coal wouldn’t lead to a reduction in global emissions, what you would see is a replacement with coal from other countries that’s likely to produce higher emissions … because of the quality of the product.”
Albanese said Labor intended to be part of international efforts to reduce emissions, which is why it was implementing a higher emissions reduction target for 2030. He said the global climate framework spearheaded by the United Nations measured emissions “based upon where they occur, not where the product comes from”.
The Greens have been pushing Labor to implement a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects as part of negotiations on the emissions reduction targets bill. Talks over the fate of the bill are ongoing.
Albanese’s comments on the ABC followed the ceremonial opening of the 47th parliament on Tuesday and a run of first speeches from new MPs.
Earlier in the day, the climate change minister, Chris Bowen, did not rule out strengthening environmental regulations as part of securing support for Labor’s climate initiatives.
Bowen was asked whether the government would be prepared to insert a “climate trigger” in revamped environmental laws which would mean the climate impacts of new developments would need to be assessed as part of the approval process – a procedure that would likely apply the brakes to fossil fuel developments.
The minister pointed to recent comments from the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek. Last week, Plibersek did not rule out making that change, but she signalled that the government would probably follow a blueprint set out by the former competition watchdog Graeme Samuel in a 2020 review of the act. Samuel argued climate impacts of developments could be addressed in other ways.
Ahead of Albanese’s intervention on Tuesday night, the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, welcomed Labor’s decision this week to specify in the new legislation that future emissions reduction targets could only increase. As well as pursuing the moratorium on fossil fuel developments, the Greens want a more ambitious 2030 target.
Bandt said Bowen’s decision to include more clarity in the legislation that future emissions reduction targets must always be a progression beyond current commitments was a “good step” that “may well be enough” to address “fixable problems” in the bill.
The Greens leader told reporters in Canberra his party wanted the 43% cut in emissions by 2030 to be a “genuine floor”, not a ceiling – meaning future governments must be able to increase the targets “without parliamentary obstacles”.
Asked if a “climate trigger” might suffice given Labor had no electoral mandate for a moratorium, Bandt acknowledged that was one of a “variety of ways” to deal with the problem, along with improving the safeguards mechanism, which Labor will ramp up to drive emissions reductions from heavy polluters.
But he questioned “what obligations” the safeguard mechanism imposed, noting that the Western Australian government had exempted gas projects from needing to find carbon offsets.
Bandt did not rule out passing a bill that did not curb new coal and gas, indicating the Greens had issued “no ultimatums” before negotiations. But he also warned the Greens wanted “real action” not to allow “action to be undermined”.
Bandt said the Greens “usually support Senate inquiries”, indicating the bill could face an inquiry between its passage in the House of Representatives next week and consideration in the Senate in September.
Labor has the numbers to pass its climate target bill in the lower house, but will need the support of the Greens and independent Senator David Pocock to pass the package in the Senate. Passage through the lower house is expected in this sitting fortnight.
With cost of living a significant stress for voters, the Albanese government is bracing for a high inflation number on Wednesday when the Australian Bureau of Statistics releases its latest consumer prices update.
The inflation figure will be followed by the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, delivering an economic statement to parliament on Thursday which will be a signpost to a tough budget in October.
