Australia’s opposition party ditches net zero as Prime Minister woos UN on climate

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🗞️ Driving the news: Australia’s opposition Liberal Party has abandoned its commitment to net-zero by 2050 and vowed to repeal the nation’s legally binding 43% emissions-cut target for 2030 if it returns to power
• The move lands just as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is lobbying global partners to support Australia’s bid to host COP31 in Adelaide with Pacific Island nations

🔭 The context: Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley said climate targets “will never come at the expense of Australian families,” pledging a slower pathway that upholds the Paris Agreement but prioritizes household budgets and economic growth
• The reversal mirrors recent policy shifts from the UK Conservative Party, signaling a broader push among some center-right parties to soften or delay climate commitments amid cost-of-living pressures.
• The decision reopens long-standing political divides over climate strategy in Australia — a country already scrutinized for its reliance on coal exports and its turbulent “climate wars.”
• The timing complicates Australia’s effort to secure unanimous international support to host COP31, particularly among Pacific Island nations who view delayed climate ambition as a direct threat to their survival.
• International observers warn the shift could erode trust in Australia’s long-term climate policy stability.

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Australia is a major emitter and the world’s second-largest coal exporter
• Weakening its climate commitments risks slowing global decarbonization efforts and undermining regional climate leadership, especially in the highly vulnerable Pacific
• With climate diplomacy already strained at COP30, internal political reversals in key countries threaten the unity needed for a rapid global phase-down of fossil fuels

⏭️ What’s next: Albanese’s government must reassure Pacific and UN partners that Australia’s climate targets will hold firm — regardless of future elections.
• The Liberal Party is expected to outline a revised emissions plan; early signals suggest a technology-driven, slower-paced model
• Climate policy is set to become a defining issue in Australia’s next election, with major implications for COP31 hosting rights

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