The Liberal Party has formally confirmed that it will remove the 2050 net zero emissions target, originally set during former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s tenure, from its party platform. This shift aligns with the earlier decision by the National Party to withdraw from the net zero commitment and has once again raised concerns about internal divisions—and potential fractures—within the coalition.
Opposition leader Sussan Ley held a press conference on November 13 to announce the Liberal Party’s latest energy policy. She stated that if the coalition wins the next federal election, it would scrap the current legislated 2030 target of a 43% emissions reduction and fully withdraw from the 2050 net zero commitment.
Despite this, the coalition emphasized at a November 16 press briefing that Australia would remain a party to the Paris Agreement. However, Ley did not directly address whether the coalition would submit future Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the United Nations, an obligation required of all signatory countries.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese strongly criticized the Liberal-National coalition’s move. He said the decision “sets the country backward” and directly warned that it would undermine long-term business investment confidence and Australia’s employment opportunities in emerging energy sectors. He accused the coalition of “not believing in climate science” and stressed that Australia can no longer afford the policy uncertainty caused by years of internal coalition disputes.
Several independent MPs also expressed shock and disappointment over the Liberal Party’s decision. They noted that today’s Liberal Party has increasingly diverged from mainstream Australian public expectations regarding climate action. This regression, they argued, not only harms the nation’s long-term climate strategy but could also weaken the coalition’s competitiveness in the next election.