Australia Sets Net-Zero Goal But Sees Future for Fossil Fuels
- Prime minister says nation will “meet and beat” 2030 target
- Pressure had been mounting for national emissions goal
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Australia’s Prime Minister finally agreed to a plan to zero out its carbon emissions by 2050, but said he wouldn’t enshrine the target in law, and would continue to rely on fossil fuels and projects designed to offset planet-warming pollution.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the target days before he’s scheduled to head to Europe for G-20 talks and then the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. It follows a new round of fractious domestic debate on climate policy, an issue that’s riven Australia’s politics for more than a decade and comes after pressure from allies including the U.S. to show more urgency in action to limit global warming.