Senior Liberal women warn party will alienate female and younger voters if it abandons net zero as Andrew Hastie urges

Maria Kovacic says going backwards on climate is unpopular with women and young people, key demographics that abandoned the Liberals at the last election. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

The Liberal party will alienate more women and young people if it abandons net zero, several Liberal women have warned, as the party publicly fractures over its energy policy.

Weeks after Andrew Hastie threatened to quit the frontbench if the Coalition embraced net zero, three high-profile current and former senior Liberal women have warned going backwards on climate action will only hurt the party more with key demographics.