The Albanese government’s plan to cut emissions from industry to tackle climate change appears on track to pass parliament by the end of the week – despite dissension emerging in the Greens.
Hours after Greens leader Adam Bandt announced on Monday that a deal had been struck for a ceiling on gross greenhouse gas emissions, his treasury spokesman Nick McKim lashed out at “psychopaths running the big corporate polluters, and their political puppets” in a fiery series of tweets.
“Australia’s emissions will be significantly less than they would have been because we were prepared to stand up for a safe climate and a liveable planet,” he wrote on Monday night.
“[But] for anyone who thinks the climate wars are over, think again. They have barely begun.”
Senator McKim also criticised environmental groups that urged the Greens to back the government plan.
“Our negotiating position was unfortunately not as strong as it could have been. It was hard enough negotiating with the political arm of fossil fuel corporations without having our position actively undermined by people who should know better,” he wrote.
The bill to broaden the safeguard mechanism passed the lower house on Monday. On Tuesday, debate turned to the Senate, where Labor will have the backing of the Greens and crossbenchers.
The two Jacqui Lambie Network senators are also expected to support the bill.
ACT independent senator David Pocock reached an agreement with the government on Monday night.
“Reforms to the safeguard mechanism are imperfect, but represent a step towards a credible climate policy,” Senator Pocock said on Tuesday.
He said the hard cap on safeguard mechanism emissions would give Australians certainty of pollution reduction under the policy.
The government also agreed to accept or partially accept, 16 recommendations as additional comments to the committee report on the legislation.
The safeguard mechanism was initiated by the Coalition government but is being overhauled by Labor. It will apply to the country’s 215 biggest emitters and force them to reduce their emissions by 4.9 per cent each year.
Tweet from @NickMcKim
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen would not be drawn on whether the changes to the safeguard mechanism would affect the viability of gas projects.
“What I more than concede … is that we have required new projects whether they be gas or anything else, to meet international best standards on emissions,” he told the ABC.
Mr Bowen rejected Mr Bandt’s description of the government as being akin to the coal and gas lobby.
“We are delivering, we’re getting on with it, we’re getting the job done,” he said.
Companies that aren’t able to meet the targets will be able to buy carbon credits.
The policy is essential to achieving a 43 per cent emission reduction by 2030 and net-zero by 2050.
Under the deal announced by Mr Bandt on Monday, the ceiling on gross greenhouse gas emissions means they won’t be able to exceed current pollution levels of 140 million tonnes a year. The cap will decrease over time.
The bill will include a “pollution trigger” that will require the climate change minister to test a new or expanded project’s impact on the hard cap and net carbon budgets.
If the assessment finds the project would contribute to exceeding the cap or budget, the minister must consult and recalibrate the rules or impose conditions on new entrants.
Mr Bandt said the amendments meant new fossil fuel projects were less likely to go ahead.
“Investors see the writing on the wall, know that coal and gas is on its way out and understand that the hard cap negotiated by the Greens means there’s a limit on coal and gas expansion in this country from now on,” he said.
As well, all new gas fields for export will need to be carbon neutral from day one.
Mr Bandt had been negotiating for a ban on all new coal and gas. While this was not achieved, the changes to the bill will make it harder for such projects to go ahead.
Opposition climate change spokesman Ted O’Brien described it as a “carbon tax on prosperity”.
The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association said it would make it harder for gas to be used to transition away from coal and provide reliable backup for renewable energy.
-with AAP
