How Albanese walked a tightrope of Labor division amid fears 43% emissions target would cost it the election

Climate change minister Chris Bowen, left, and Anthony Albanese sign the 43% emissions cut target in June. Before the election, they worked to persuade colleagues to adopt the ambitious target. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AP

Labor’s signature climate policy to cut emissions by 43% by 2030 was resisted by some senior figures in the leadership group, and triggered a collective anxiety attack in the shadow cabinet as MPs agonised over whether it would cost them another election victory.

The internal wrangling ahead of shadow cabinet’s decision to endorse the 2030 target in December 2021 is revealed in the new Quarterly Essay: Lone Wolf: Albanese and the New Politics, which will be published on Monday.