“We have seen nothing but a political smokescreen,” he said, repeating the Nationals’ argument that Australia, responsible for just over 1% of global emissions, should not adopt what he described as “an all-renewables approach that is destroying the environment.”
The Nationals’ review focuses on estimating the cost of Australia’s net-zero pathway and how it compares with other countries. Littleproud cited Canada as an example, though Ottawa’s 2035 target of a 45–50% cut is an addition to, not a retreat from, its 2030 goal of 40–45%. In Australia, Labor has set an 82% renewable electricity target by 2030 underpinned by the Capacity Investment Scheme, which now covers 40 GW of new generation and dispatchable capacity. The Australian Energy Market Operator’s 2024 Integrated System Plan estimated $122 billion in investment needs to 2050, well below the $331 billion figure often used in political debate.
The Nationals’ stance underscores the Coalition’s broader climate fault lines, as some Liberals call for rethinking net-zero entirely. Public polling has shown majority support for legislated climate targets, while business groups stress certainty for investment in clean energy infrastructure. Whether the Coalition ultimately votes against the next round of legislation will signal how firmly it is prepared to stand apart from the global shift toward codifying net-zero targets.
