GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION – GOVERNMENT POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Stealth carbon tax warning

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 27-Apr-22

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stressed that the federal government is fully committed to its net-zero emissions target of 2050, after Nationals senator Matt Canavan claimed that other countries are abandoning the this target. Meanwhile, Whitehaven Coal CEO Paul Flynn claims that Labor’s proposed changes to the government’s safeguard mechanism for large industrial emitters constitutes a "carbon tax by stealth". Labor has confirmed that coal mines will be included in a revised safeguard mechanism if it wins the federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

PM drives $1bn tech fund

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 10-Nov-21

The federal government will establish a low-emissions technology commercialisation fund as part of its push for carbon neutrality by 2050. The $1bn fund will investment in Australian start-ups and businesses that are focused on emerging technologies such as carbon capture and storage. The government will contribute $500m to the fund, and it will seek a matching contribution from the private sector. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also launched a new strategy aimed at encouraging Australians to buy electric vehicles; he had criticised Labor’s proposed target for annual electric car sales during the 2019 election campaign.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

PM’s no to methane cut

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Original article by Simon Benson, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Oct-21

The federal government will not agree to sign the Global Methane Pledge at the upcoming COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. The pledge is backed by the US and Europe, and would require signatories to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. Refusal to sign the pledge is believed to have been a key commitment made by Prime Minister Scott Morrison to gain the National Party’s support for a net zero emissions target of 2030. It was feared that Australia would be particularly hard hit by such a pledge, given the economy’s reliance on industries such as agriculture and coal mining.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Bring it on: PM goads Labor towards climate action poll

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 10 : 27-Oct-21

The federal government’s net zero emissions target of 2050 envisions that all sectors of the economy will bear the burden of the push for carbon neutrality. The energy sector will be required to slash its emissions by 91-97 per cent by 2050, transport’s emissions will be cut by 53-71 per cent, and the mining and manufacturing sectors’ emissions will have to fall by 18-54 per cent. The government’s own technology road map is slated to reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent, by expanding the number of priority technologies to include ultra-low-cost solar power. The other five priority technologies are not yet commercially viable. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has signalled that climate change could be a key issue for the next federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

PM cites national security as a key climate incentive

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 19-Oct-21

Sources within the National Party are hopeful that it can strike a deal with the Liberals over a net zero emissions target by 2050 by the end of the week, or at the beginning of next week at the latest. The Nationals met for the second day in a row on 18 October to discuss their stance on a climate deal, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the Liberal partyroom on the issue. He is said to have told the meeting that the election of US President Joe Biden has increased the pressure on Australia to commit to a net zero target, apparently saying that Australia needs the Western alliance "now more than ever".

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Big carbon nations must cut too: PM

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Original article by Greg Brown, Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 11-Aug-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the federal government will update its 2030 emissions projections ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November. He adds that the update will show that Australia is on track to exceed its Paris climate agreement targets. Morrison also contends that ‘catastrophic’ climate change will only be avoided if China, India and other developing nations take action to reduce their carbon emissions. China and India are regarded as developing nations, so they are not required to cut emissions immediately under the Paris agreement. Morrison is of the view that his government’s focus on reducing carbon emissions via technology rather than taxes will help to boost clean energy uptake in developing nations.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED NATIONS

Australia ranks last for climate action among UN member countries

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Original article by Lisa Cox
The Guardian – Page: Online : 2-Jul-21

Australia Institute climate expert Richie Merzian says he is not surprised that Australia has been ranked last in a survey of 193 members of the United Nations in terms of action taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He says the federal government has no climate and energy policy, instead preferring to cherry-pick technologies, many of which support the fossil fuel industry. Australia’s last-place ranking on climate action was contained in a report on progress towards global sustainable development goals, with Australia ranking 35th in that area.

CORPORATES
THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE LIMITED, UNITED NATIONS

PM’s global tech fix for emissions

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 22-Apr-21

The federal government has committed to spending $566m over eight years on the development of low-emission technologies in partnership with other countries. This follows the government’s previous announcement that it will spend $540m on hydrogen and carbon capture and storage projects. Prime Minister Scott Morrison contends that international collaboration is the most effective way to address the issue of carbon emissions, a point he will emphasise during the upcoming virtual climate change summit that will be hosted by US President Joe Biden.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

PM pushes jobs on road to net zero

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 21-Apr-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the federal government will adopt a ‘technology-first’ approach to reducing carbon emissions. He will reveal plans for the government to invest in four clean hydrogen hubs in regional Australia, as well as carbon capture and storage technology. These initiatives will cost some $540m, while Morrison says they will create 2,500 jobs. Morrison has also committed to ensuring that the government’s climate policies will not penalise industries that have high carbon emissions, such as mining and agriculture.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Australia warned it could be isolated over climate inaction after Joe Biden victory

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Original article by Adam Morton
The Guardian – Page: Online : 9-Nov-20

President-elect Joe Biden has set a net zero emissions for the US of no later than 2050, while he has committed to rejoining the Paris climate agreement. Howard Bamsey, Australia’s former special envoy on climate change, suspects the topic will come up in Biden’s first or second conversation with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, while former Australian diplomat to the UN Dean Bialek says Australia risks being further isolated as a "climate laggard" if it adheres to its current inaction.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET