Australia’s coalition abandons net zero commitment, shifts energy policy focus from climate to consumer prices

Australia’s opposition Coalition has officially abandoned its net zero by 2050 climate commitment, unveiling a new energy policy that prioritizes reducing electricity bills over cutting emissions. The dramatic policy shift was endorsed during a joint Liberal-National party meeting on Sunday, marking a significant retreat from previous climate commitments.

Under the Coalition’s new approach, a future government would remove emissions reduction targets from the Australian Energy Market Operator’s core objectives, instead directing the agency to focus primarily on lowering consumer power prices. The party also plans to set Australia’s carbon reduction targets based on what “similar nations” achieve, rather than establishing independent science-based goals.

The policy reversal comes after intense internal pressure from conservative Liberal MPs, who successfully pushed to align their party’s position with the more climate-skeptical Nationals. This represents a stark contrast to the current Labor government’s approach, which maintains both the net zero by 2050 target and emissions reduction as a key objective for energy market operations.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton framed the new policy as “affordable and responsible,” arguing that reducing energy costs for households should take precedence over climate action. However, environmental groups warn that abandoning emissions targets could undermine Australia’s international climate commitments and potentially increase long-term energy costs as the global economy transitions toward renewable sources. The policy shift also signals that climate action may become a major dividing line in the next federal election.