Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. At the global climate summit the UK announced a 2035 emissions reduction target of 81 per cent, along with a ban on all new licences to mine coal. Despite promising Australia's target by February next year, the Prime Minister is now ducking and weaving on a pre-election climate target while approving 28 new coal and gas projects and lifting emissions higher than under Scott Morrison. Why won't you announce a new climate target that builds on the UK's ambition instead of opening new coal and gas projects?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. It contains an inaccuracy right at the centre of it, and that's the number of coal and gas projects he's pointed to. We have approved 10 times more renewable energy projects than coal projects. But going to the specific question about the 2035 target, can I reassure the member that the Climate Change Act that he voted for included within it a limitation that says the Climate Change Authority must provide advice before a 2035 target can be included. That was an amendment to the bill that was proposed by this side. It was an amendment proposed by the member for Warringah, and it was voted for by the Australian Greens political party.

That legislation that we passed enshrined both our national targets under the Paris Agreement and a process for determining the 2035 target. That process was voted for at the time by the Australian Greens political party. It was also welcomed by the member for Ryan, who said, at the time, 'We welcome the requirement that the Climate Change Authority once again advise on emissions targets.' The explanation for the member's question is that we're awaiting advice from the Climate Change Authority, which is considering the important issue of setting a 2035 target which will be both ambitious and achievable.