Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. On global climate change negotiations last week, the US Ambassador to Australia said:

It would be really helpful to see Australia move forward with a more ambitious effort … what the science is telling us is the pathway needs to be more aggressive.

The US, the UK, the EU, Japan and South Korea have all lifted their 2030 pledges. Why is Australia turning its back on our allies and trading partners in these climate negotiations and instead siding with the petrostates of Russia and Saudi Arabia?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I absolutely reject the premise and the facile assertion at the end of the question, quite frankly. In fact, Australia is working very hard to deliver our long-term emissions reduction strategy. We will release that ahead of COP 26, as we have made very clear. We will release our updated forecasts ahead of COP 26, which are expected to show a further improvement on Australia's 2030 position. We have a strong record of meeting and exceeding our international emissions reduction targets, including overachieving on both our first Kyoto emissions target and our 2020 target. The latest data shows our emissions at 20 per cent below 2005 levels. We believe in achieving—not just talking about it, but achieving—and those achievements are records to which we can point as a nation. Our emissions are lower than in any year under the previous government, and at the lowest levels since 1990. We are strongly committed to playing our part in the global effort to combat climate change through the Paris Agreement, as set out in all of the Pacific Islands Forum declarations, the Boe declaration and the Kainaki II declaration, and we have been clear, as the Prime Minister has indicated, that we intend to reach net zero as soon as possible, and preferably by 2050.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, a supplementary question?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] It's easy to meet crap targets. Is the government's intention—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry, Senator Waters, I couldn't hear what you said. Can I ask you to start again.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. Thank you, President. I was pointing out that it's easy to meet crap targets.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, that's not helpful in question time. The clock is running. Continue your question.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is it the government's intention to go into climate negotiations in Glasgow at the end of the year with Russia and Saudi Arabia as our only diplomatic allies, or is your department working on strategies to satisfy the United States and the rest of the developing world and the developed world by lifting our 2030 target?

Senator Hume interjecting—

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well said, Senator Hume. I think I outlined our next steps in terms of working to deliver on our long-term emissions reduction strategy. Our intention is to release that ahead of COP 26. Our intention is to release our updated forecasts ahead of COP 26, which are, as I said, expected to show a further improvement on Australia's 2030 position. Our budget included over $630 million worth of additional investment to support low-emissions technologies and partnerships—partnerships that we are securing with a range of international partners: with Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Japan.

We share with the United States a resolute commitment to ambitious action on climate change. We want to be a partner of choice for the United States on climate and align our climate with broader objectives to strengthen economic integration and advance our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific. We're advancing practical, targeted collaboration with the United States across the broad climate agenda, including low-emissions technologies and supply chains. I've discussed with Secretary Kerry how Australia and the US can create practical momentum. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, a final supplementary question?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] The British foreign secretary asked Australia in March to stretch our climate ambitions and to match what the science requires, which is a doubling of our targets to keep within two degrees, or a tripling of them to keep within one 1½ degrees. Will you listen to our global allies or will you listen to the coal, oil and gas companies that are slowly turning Australia into an international pariah?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, I absolutely reject the premise of Senator Waters's question, which is not founded in reality by any stretch of the imagination. What we are focused on is not just talking about targets but actual achievements, and that would be the difference. That would be the record on which we are prepared to stand. We are resolutely committed to Paris. We know that we're on the front line of climate change impacts. We've indicated, and I've said it again in here this afternoon, that we will reach net zero as soon as possible, and preferably by 2050, but that takes real investments in technologies that reduce emissions and stimulate economic growth. I know economic growth is a complete pariah for the Greens but it's not for us, it's not for our country and it's not for the world.