Net zero policy in Australia: Scott Morrison asked about climate change plan

If you got a dollar for every time Scott Morrison said “plan” today, you would probably have enough to refuel your car despite record high gas prices.

The Prime Minister revealed Australia’s “plan” to reach net zero by 2050 ahead of the international climate change conference in Glasgow next week.

In fact, the prime minister said “plan” at least 80 times throughout the press conference.

And that’s without counting how many times he said it during Question Time.

Under the plan, more than $ 20 billion will be invested in “low-emission technologies”, including carbon capture and storage, by 2030.

It should generate between 60 and 100 billion dollars in “co-investment”.

A “new priority” to provide “ultra low cost solar” electricity is also included in the plan.

The time is now is part of news.com.au’s partnership with the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub, which examines the impacts of climate change across Australia by 2050

Yet despite repeating this word over and over again, the main question is how to get there.

As the Prime Minister was all too willing to repeat today, it was simply a matter of publishing the “plan”. When asked when the actual modeling would be released, he said yes, it would come “eventually”.

“Did you say a moment ago that you would publish the modeling,” the prime minister was asked.

“Finally, yes,” he replied.

“This is not a plan at all costs,” Mr. Morrison said.

“There are no blank checks here. It will not stop our production or our exports of coal or gas. This will not impact households, businesses or the economy in general with the new costs or taxes imposed by the initiatives we undertake.

“It won’t cost jobs, not in agriculture, mining or gas, because what we are doing in this plan is positive.”

It found that emissions are expected to be reduced by 30 to 35 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 – an increase from the previous forecast of 26 to 28 percent.

He also stressed that Australia needs to strike a balance between what is good for the country and what is good for the emissions.

“In this debate, there are those who will say that we will be ruined if we don’t and we will be ruined if we do. What is important for Australia is that we set this middle track and that is what my government is doing, ”he said.

He has consistently stressed that the Coalition’s plan to tackle climate change would not involve a tax on carbon emissions like Labor introduced previously.

“Technologies, not taxes,” the Prime Minister said in a slogan that all Australians will hear several times before the next election.

As his plan revealed today, many of the planned shows will be achieved using technology. So much so that 15 percent of the planned emission reduction goes to technologies that haven’t even been invented yet.

For now, the Prime Minister has revealed a climate plan that he hopes will be enough to win him the next elections.

Mr Morrison was quick to point out that Labor had yet to reveal its policy on climate change.

“There is an alternative plan which is not our plan. To be fair, there aren’t any, because they haven’t yet said what it is under the Labor Party, ”he said.

“They have a goal without a plan. They don’t even have a goal for 2030 and even less a plan for 2050. ”

University of NSW climatologist Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick said the plan was “quite ambiguous.”

“Sure, they said they would commit to net zero by 2050, but where are the new policies? It seems like it’s all about investing in greener energy solutions, which is great, but the emphasis is also on the fact that today’s industries are ‘cleaner’ versions of themselves – how will they achieve it? “

The backlash for the coalition’s net zero plan was swift (unsurprisingly) from the Greens and Labor.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said the PM would be called a “joke” by other world leaders at the Glasgow climate change conference next week.

“It’s climate fraud. There is no new money, no new policies, and no more coal and gas, ”he said.

“He has 2030 goals that will cook our children and more charcoal and gas. This so-called climate plan is not doing what is necessary to protect the Australian people and our way of life. “

And Labor leader Anthony Albanese was just as scathing.

“We haven’t seen the modeling, and we haven’t had the details. Because there is net zero modeling, net zero legislation and a net zero unit, ”he said.

It is hypocritical for Labor to complain about a lack of detail, while it has yet to reveal how it will act on climate change either.

But it reveals a problem the PM will continue to face.

Until Mr. Morrison can actually reveal more details and the modeling that will take us to net zero by 2050, he can expect to continue to face tough questions about his “plan.”

Oliver Murray is the editor of news.com.au