The ongoing internal brawl within the Coalition over the 2050 net zero emissions target is less about climate policy and more about political posturing, according to analysts. The federal Liberals and Nationals have never truly embraced the target, having failed to introduce any meaningful policy to meet it since Scott Morrison adopted it in 2021.
The taxpayer-funded nuclear energy policy rejected by voters was essentially a fossil fuel policy in disguise, aimed at stalling renewable energy growth and prolonging coal and gas use until at least the mid-2040s. The Coalition also pledged to scrap Labor's climate measures. Now, shadow energy minister Dan Tehan signals a replacement policy that could include subsidies for nuclear, coal, and gas, raising questions about emissions reduction.
Nationals leader David Littleproud claims abandoning the net zero target is not climate denial but part of a “better, cheaper, fairer” approach, though he has yet to detail what that entails. Critics note the Coalition dropped the shadow minister for climate change title after the election, a move seen as a form of denial.
Meanwhile, the Coalition prefers to focus on energy prices, attributing rises to renewable energy. However, experts highlight that price spikes followed the Ukraine war, which sent global gas prices soaring, along with flooding on coal mines and outages at ageing coal plants—not renewables.
Labor’s error was overstating its ability to cut bills by $275 by 2025, a claim that has fuelled misinformation against clean energy. The real driver of electricity costs remains global fossil fuel volatility.
