Australia maps out emissions reduction pathway

Australia maps out emissions reduction pathway

Sydney, 1 June (Argus) — Chris Bowen has been appointed climate change and energy minister in the new Australian federal Labor government's cabinet, promising to push for a 2030 emissions cut of 43pc without halting all new gas and coal projects.

Bowen, who put together Labor's climate change policies, believes that he will not need to bow to the Australian Green party's demands to ban the construction of all new coal, oil and gas infrastructure in Australia, despite The Greens holding the balance of power in the upper house of parliament, the Senate. The Labor party plans to legislate for zero net emissions by 2050 but has workarounds to meet a 2030 emissions reduction target of 43pc of 2005 levels without passing legislation, which would need to be approved by the Senate.

This will allow Bowen to pursue Labor's climate change goals without neither having to negotiate with The Greens, which want a 74pc cut by 2030 and net zero by 2035, nor with the opposition Liberal-National coalition that had a 26-28pc target for 2030.

Bowen will rely on tightening the safeguard mechanism, which imposes emissions caps on Australia's 215 biggest polluters and on an A$20bn ($14.4bn) Rewiring the Nation fund that will