The owners of Australian coal and gas-fired power plants have joined the country’s leading business groups in saying the Coalition should keep Labor’s 2030 climate target if it wins the next election.
The Australian Energy Council, which represents electricity companies and gas wholesalers and retailers, the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Industry Group said maintaining an interim target – legislated as a 43% cut compared with 2005 levels – was an important step in getting to net zero emissions by mid-century.
Some of the business groups said the 43% target would be difficult, but the government should aim to meet it. None said they agreed with the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, that it was “unachievable”.
Dutton on Tuesday repeated that he would not back the legislated goal, and revealed the Coalition did not intend to propose an alternative 2030 emissions reduction target before the next election, which is due by May 2025.
He said Labor’s target would “harm Australian families”, and that a decision on interim targets would be made “when we are in government”. But he said the Coalition was still committed to net zero emissions and the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

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Retaining Labor's 2030 climate target would mark a substantial stride towards reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
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Its encouraging new, having targets we help to get net zero emissions
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This is really encouraging to see alignment among Australia's power & gas companies towards supporting Labor's 2030 climate target.đź’šđź‘Ź
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this is a good sign, the energy sector understands the need for zero emissions
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It's promising to see Australia's power and gas companies endorsing Labour's 2030 climate target.