Liberals scrap net zero, set to remain in Paris Climate Accord
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The news: The Liberal Party has dumped its net zero emissions target after a meeting of the shadow cabinet.
The context: Liberal ministers met in Parliament House to settle on a finalised position on Thursday, the morning after a full party room meeting in which a slim majority of MPs and senators expressed a desire to scrap the target.
But in a bid to mollify Liberal moderates and inner-city voters who have abandoned the party, the party will frame a carbon neutral future as desirable and call for Australia to remain in the Paris Climate Accord.
The Liberals have been heading towards that position for weeks, especially after its junior Coalition partner, the Nationals, formally abandoned net zero this month.
Liberal leader Sussan Ley and senior colleagues will meet Nationals counterparts to settle on a shared position over the next 72 hours weekend, in a move which would avoid a second Coalition split in just six months.
Ley's team during those talks will be energy spokesman Dan Tehan, home affairs spokesman Jonathon Duniam, and health spokeswoman Anne Ruston — the party’s most senior moderate.
Thursday’s meeting rubber-stamped a decision which will please conservative Liberals and the Nationals, but leave moderates concerned it will entrench the Coalition’s struggles in inner-city seats which it likely needs to reclaim government.
In Wednesday’s meeting, Liberal director Andrew Hirst presented polling showing most voters want serious action on climate change and view the net zero target as a proxy for that action.
Ley has been juggling a revolt from the Nationals and many of her own Liberal colleagues over net zero, while juggling a rearguard action from moderates pushing to retain the target.
A number of moderate frontbenchers have left the door open to resigning if the party took a hardline stance.
The source: Capital Brief sources
