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

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator McAllister. With reports yesterday of the worst coral loss in 39 years in parts of the Great Barrier Reef, still the Albanese government is saying no 2035 target will be set until advice is received from the Climate Change Authority. Under the Climate Change Act, the minister has to request that this advice be given. The authority can't initiate that advice on its own. My question is: has the minister formally asked the Climate Change Authority for advice, under section 15 of that act, on what Australia's 2035 targets should be?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters did give me the courtesy of alerting me that she'd ask this reasonably particular and fact based question. I can draw her attention to the website of the Climate Change Authority, which says this:

The Climate Change Authority is developing advice on the 2035 emissions reduction targets for Australia's next Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), as requested by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

On their website they go on to talk a little bit about how they're doing that. What they're doing is complex whole-of-economy modelling, policy analysis, consultation and consideration of international trends.

The question from Senator Waters seems to suggest in some way that the decision to make this request of the Climate Change Authority is a device of some kind by the government. Senator Waters might recall that the decision to insert such a requirement into this legislation was a decision that was supported by the Greens political party. In fact, it was a decision that we also welcomed. We think it is useful to have an independent, authoritative source of advice and analysis that can assist the government in recommending any future target. We are proceeding in exactly the way it was set out in the legislation. We are requesting advice from the Climate Change Authority. We look forward to receiving that advice, which the minister, as he has indicated on many occasions publicly, will consider and weigh before recommending any future target.

The point is there is a lot of work to do in relation to our existing targets. Those opposite, as I understand it, don't plan to have a 2030 target at all. In fact, some of them are talking about walking away from the 2050 target. Some of them are calling to pull out of the Paris Agreement. We're getting on with climate action.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, first supplementary?

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

Overnight, Minister Bowen said, 'We must strengthen efforts and deliver our highest possible ambition.' At last year's climate meeting he said:

We stand behind its call for future NDCs—

targets—

to be aligned with 1.5 degrees. This is the guiding "North Star" as countries prepare most ambitious NDCs.

Will Australia's 2035 target be aligned with limiting warming to 1½ degrees?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Waters, for pointing out that Australia is in fact involved in international forums, playing a constructive role and, frankly, back at the table.

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why didn't Albanese go?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The truth is it matters. It is in our national interest because if those opposite were actually paying attention, they'd notice that in communities they claim to care about bushfires are intensifying and becoming more frequent. Rainfall is intensifying and causing greater levels of flooding. Heatwaves are affecting older Australians—

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What's your target?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister McAllister, please resume your seat. Senator Wong?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie was called by you, she took a breath and then interjected again. I'd ask you to call her again.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, I will remind you I did call order. You and Senator Paterson were interjecting. Senator Paterson kept quiet and you continued on. Minister McAllister, please continue.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. Senator Waters points out that we're at the table calling for international collaboration to deal with this challenge because it matters for Australians and, incidentally, it matters for our neighbours in the Pacific. The approach we take to setting the target will be exactly as we have explained on many occasions and is set out in the act. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, second supplementary?

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

The UK has set the test for the rest of the world by pledging an 81 per cent reduction in pollution by 2035. To be anywhere near that sort of ambition, the Australian government would have to finally confront the oversized contribution that our coal and gas exports make to cooking our planet. Is that something the Albanese government is willing to face up to?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It again appears that the Greens political party are inviting us to offer and speculate about the kinds of targets we might propose prior to receiving the advice from the Climate Change Authority. It appears that what you'd prefer is a speculative process where we pick targets out of the air. What's actually being undertaken is analysis from the Climate Change Authority, which precedes government consideration of any target, which will be announced at the appropriate time.

The truth is that action is required, and it's required because of the consequences for Australia and for our neighbours if we cannot, as a world, come to terms and start to reverse the warming trends that are causing so much damage to our communities. We are back at the table, part of the international community working to forge exactly such an agreement.