A new survey has found almost two-thirds of Australians support a national target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 or earlier.
The Australia Institute said the survey of 1424 respondents found more than half of coalition voters supporting such a target, and only one-in-ten said there should be no target.
The institute said every Australian state and territory already has a target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, but the conservative Liberal-National federal government has refused to commit to the policy.
Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor is heading to Madrid for the United Nations-led Conference of the Parties (COP25) climate change talks this week.
“Under the Paris Agreement, countries including Australia are required to bring forward a long-term climate plan by 2020, presenting an opportunity for Minister Taylor to back in a popular target of net-zero emissions by 2050,” the institute’s climate and energy director Richie Merzian said in a statement.
He said New Zealand locked in this target in its Zero Carbon Act last month and the European Union is also working through a plan to reach a similar goal.
Representatives from California and New York at COP25 are following suit “to show that a lack of national leadership should not be confused with a lack of action on the ground”, Mr Merzian said in a statement.
“Maybe the same can be said about Australia.”
Australia’s opposition Labor Party Leader Anthony Albanese criticised the Liberal-National government for its approach to climate change in a speech on Saturday.
“Coalition members too often see climate change as little more than a conspiracy cooked up by academic scientists to get research grants, and by environmental activists to destroy the free market,” Mr Albanese said.
However, Mr Taylor used a new report, Emissions Projections 2019, to argue that Australia will exceed its 2030 Paris Agreement target by 16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Mr Taylor did not mentation that the projections also include using controversial carry-over credits from Australia’s Kyoto Protocol targets.
The minister believes the improvement from the 2018 projections is primarily a result of the government’s $3.5 billion Climate Solutions Package and “continued strong emissions reductions” in the electricity sector.
The report also shows the nation will exceed its 2020 target by 411 tonnes.
“Our commitment is achievable, balanced and responsible, and is part of coordinated global action to deliver a healthy environment for future generations while keeping our economy strong,” Mr Taylor said.
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