The Albanese Government has today released its National Climate Risk Assessment.
The Opposition has accepted a briefing from the Australian Climate Service and will examine the assumptions behind the report, including how projections have been made about health, property prices, insurance costs, and impacts on communities and businesses.
Climate change is a global problem, and it demands global action. Australia cannot make a difference on its own, but we must play our part. The Coalition will always support sensible action to reduce emissions, strengthen resilience, and protect communities.
Our nation has the capacity and resources to meet the challenge of climate change with the right policies and priorities. This is a moment to reassure Australians. What Australians do not need is alarmist language being used to distract from Labor’s failures.
There is a trifecta of Labor failure: prices are up, reliability is down, and emissions are flatlining. Labor went to the 2022 election with three promises — a $275 cut to power bills by 2025, 82 per cent renewables by 2030, and a 43 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030. They have either failed or are failing on all three.
Power prices are up 39 per cent, or $1,300 more than promised for 2025-26.
The 82 per cent renewables target is off track, with experts forecasting just 65 per cent at best. The rollout is only half the pace needed and industry is crying out for gas.
After emissions rose under Labor, they now sit at 28 per cent below 2005 levels — exactly the same as when the Coalition left office.
It is expected Labor will unveil its 2035 emissions target later this week. Any target must pass two simple tests: it must be credible, and it must be upfront about the cost to households and small businesses.
We need to reduce emissions, but not at any cost. If Labor cannot outline the cost and a credible pathway, why should Australians trust them not to force households and small businesses to pay even more? Don’t look at what Labor says, look at what it does.