Nationals, Scott Morrison agree to net zero emissions for Australia by 2050

Scott Morrison will attend next week’s climate change summit in Glasgow with a commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 after the Nationals agreed to a deal they said would enable them to cushion regional and rural Australia against the effects of the economic transition.

Before he leaves on Thursday, the Prime Minister will also unveil a “substantially” upgraded projection for emissions cuts by 2030, but will not define this number as a target.

A majority of the Nationals agreed to a net zero deal on Sunday at a meeting in Canberra after Mr Morrison made it clear during private talks over the weekend he would take net zero by 2050 to Glasgow, with or without the imprimatur of the junior Coalition partner.

“Only the Coalition can be trusted to deliver a plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 that will protect and promote rural and regional Australia,” Mr Morrison said on Sunday as he welcomed the deal.

The Coalition’s official climate policy is now a non-legislated commitment to net zero by 2050 using technology, and a target to reduce emissions by 26 per cent to 28 per cent over 2005 level by 2030.

Mr Kean’s own Coalition government is committed to net zero emissions by 2050 and has set a 2030 target to reduce emissions by 50 per cent over 2005 levels.

Mr Kean said the government should lift its 2030 target to 35 per cent which would be about the average of the targets of the state governments.

Labor, like the government, is committed to achieving net zero by 2050 using technology.