Nationals digging in against carbon target
Resources Minister Keith Pitt has made it abundantly clear the Nationals will fight tooth and nail against adopting a target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has used an overseas trip to lay the groundwork for adopting the climate target later this year.
He said it was very clear the world was moving to net zero emissions and a new energy economy was coming.
But back home, Mr Pitt has signalled the Nationals are not on board.
He said Australia had not committed to the target and doing so would require agreement from the junior coalition partner.
The cabinet minister said agreement had not been sought and the Nationals had not even been asked.
"I think they would be unsupportive but we are yet to have that discussion," Mr Pitt told ABC radio on Thursday.
"We haven't been asked and there's been no change in our position."
Mr Pitt said adopting a net zero emissions target would "absolutely" cause damage to industries in regional communities and was not government policy.
The prime minister has repeatedly stated Australia is aiming to get to net zero emissions "as soon as possible and preferably by 2050".
He is confident he can convince the Nationals.
"We're just working the problem, and the problem is how we address a world that is moving to a new energy economy, a new carbon-neutral economy, that is going to happen," Mr Morrison told Sky News.
"This is where the world is heading and that has profound implications for Australia. We have to ready ourselves for that."
At the same time, Mr Pitt is urging oil and gas producers to fight back against environmental and shareholder groups campaigning against the expansion of the fossil fuel industry.
He has declared coal will be around for many more years to come.
