Nationals leader given climate talks nod
Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has been given the nod from his party room to strike a deal with Scott Morrison on climate policy ahead of global talks.
It is understood a meeting of Nationals MPs on Thursday handed Mr Joyce a broad set of principles, rather than a wishlist of specific projects, on which to negotiate with the prime minister.
The Nationals will meet against as a party room on Sunday afternoon to hear the result of the negotiations.
Mr Morrison is confident he will be able to take a 2050 net zero target to COP26 climate talks starting in just over a week, with federal cabinet being the final arbiter of the plan.
At the heart of the Nationals' concerns is the impact of deeper emissions cuts on rural and regional jobs and industry, especially mining and farming.
However, groups including the National Farmers Federation have already backed the net zero target.
In supporting the target, the NFF says the government needs to invest more in research and development and better enable farmers to take part in carbon markets, as they seek the goal of $100 billion in farm gate output by 2030.
The Minerals Council also supports the net zero ambition, but says more investment is needed in low and zero emission technology, and a wider range of credible and low-cost abatement options is required.
It sees big opportunities for development of aluminium, copper, nickel, zinc, iron, uranium, base metals, lithium, minerals sands, and rare earths which are essential in clean-energy technologies.
Countries including France want Australia to bring ambitious mid-term targets, not just a 2050 pledge, to the Glasgow climate summit starting on October 31.
But the coalition has ruled out raising its 2030 target beyond its existing pledge to cut emissions between 26 and 28 per cent on 2005 levels.
The government is set to announce revised emissions projections in coming days.
"We're getting emissions down and employment up," Mr Morrison told parliament.
"We're seeing exports go up, the resources industry, the natural gas industry, the LNG industry ... under the policies of the government."
He stressed coal and gas jobs would be protected as the Nationals derided business expectations about a renewables job boom.
"Find me a solar panel that works in the dark," Resources Minister Keith Pitt said.
Renewables made up nearly a third of all electricity generated in the national energy market during the September quarter.
This was helped by the ramping up of new wind and solar as well as higher rainfall in Tasmania increasing hydro output.
At one point last month renewables comprised 61.4 per cent of generation, the Australian Energy Market Operator said in its latest quarterly report.
