Environmental advocates have blasted Queensland’s emission target as “inadequate” and lagging behind other states, with the Greens preparing to introduce a bill that would more than double the current benchmark.
Critics say while the Queensland government’s renewable energy target is in line with other jurisdictions, the state falls short when it comes to emissions reductions.
Queensland’s current target is set at a 30% emissions reduction below 2005 levels by 2030 – a weaker target than those set by the federal, New South Wales and Victorian governments.
The director of the Queensland Conservation Council, Dave Copeman, has called on the government to immediately reduce emissions and be “as ambitious as possible”.
“A 30% emissions reduction target by 2030 is inadequate. It is in line with the Morrison government’s target which was resoundingly rejected by Queenslanders at the 2022 election,” Copeman told Guardian Australia.
“It doesn’t provide leadership to industry or community in Queensland, because the Queensland energy and jobs plan, and federal policies, such as the safeguard mechanism, make it largely obsolete.”
Copeman called for a 60% reduction in emissions by 2030 on 2005 levels, as outlined in an Accenture report, as well as more renewables and storage.
Queensland makes up a sizeable chunk of Australia’s emissions and could play a significant role in helping accelerate the transition to net zero, according to climate policy expert Richie Merzian.
“Queensland can do better than 30% by 2030,” he said.
“The federal government has a stronger target [of 43% by 2030 on 2005 levels]. NSW will halve emissions this decade, so will Victoria, South Australia and the ACT.
“There’s space to move forward.”
It comes as the Queensland Greens prepare to introduce legislation into parliament this week that would legislate a 75% emissions reduction target by 2030 and net zero by 2035.
The proposed legislation is the second part of the Greens’ bill announced last week to ban new coal and gas approvals and phase-out coal, oil and gas exports by 2030.
The Greens MP for Maiwar, Michael Berkman, said Queensland had a responsibility to act quickly to cut emissions, with the state “both a major contributor to the climate crisis and on the frontlines of some of its worst impacts”.
“We’re introducing a bill to ditch Scott Morrison’s climate targets in Queensland,” Berkman said.
“Voters rejected the Coalition’s weak emissions targets at last year’s federal election, yet Queensland Labor’s are almost the same.”
Berkman said while he supported the government’s “increased ambition to expand renewable energy”, their current target would result in devastating environmental impacts, such as floods, fires and heatwaves.
The Lock the Gate Alliance’s Queensland coordinator, Ellie Smith, said Queensland’s policy of allowing new coal projects was “incompatible with even its weak emissions reduction target”.
“The Palaszczuk government must make good on its long-overdue promise to protect the floodplains of the Lake Eyre Basin from new oil and gas projects,” Smith said.
“Modelling shows that allowing oil and gas companies to exploit this part of the state at even a low level would make it difficult for Queensland to meet its current meagre climate targets.”
Merzian said Queensland had the greatest potential for renewables, with the highest penetration of rooftop solar in the country.
“The Queensland government owns a lot of power generation, so there’s even more opportunity to manage the transition given that they haven’t privatised like their southern neighbours,” he said.
“The Sunshine State can live up to its name if it’s willing to shed its past image [of] relying on fossil fuels.”
Queensland’s shadow energy minister, Pat Weir, accused the state government of being “all talk and no action when it comes to the environment and energy security”.
But Queensland’s environment minister, Meaghan Scanlon, said the government was “doing extensive work on modelling and sectoral plans” to make sure they “can deliver real and meaningful action on emissions reductions and climate change.”
“Our $62bn energy and jobs plan will cut emissions from the state’s largest emitting sector by 90% by 2035 and see no regular reliance on coal by 2035,” Scanlon said.
