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The federal parliamentary Liberal Party has formally decided to abandon its long-standing commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley announced the change after a protracted internal debate and a shadow ministry meeting.
The party said it will prioritise policies intended to lower energy costs and emphasise technology and voluntary markets instead of legislated long-term targets.
The decision brings the Liberals into line with the Nationals, which already removed net-zero language from its platform this month.
Party officials say Australia will remain a signatory to the Paris Agreement while not setting domestic long-range targets before an election.
Critics including legal academics and climate groups say the move risks international backlash and could amount to backsliding under the Paris framework.
Moderates warned the strategy may cost the Coalition metropolitan voters and damage business confidence in energy policy.
The Liberals have appointed representatives to negotiate a common Coalition position with the Nationals ahead of a joint meeting later this week.
What happened
A party-room meeting lasting several hours produced a majority mood in favour of removing a firm net-zero by 2050 commitment from Liberal policy. [1]
The shadow ministry then met and resolved to formally abandon the 2050 target while saying emissions would fall year-on-year in line with comparable countries. [1]
The Liberals announced they would also repeal parts of Labor’s 2030 emissions legislation and reconsider renewable energy targets if elected. [3]
Leader Sussan Ley framed the change as a shift to “energy abundance”, listing nuclear, gas and keeping coal plants operating longer as policy options. [3]
Why the party changed course
Internal pressure from conservative and regional MPs who view net-zero targets as a threat to traditional industries helped drive the shift. [4]
The Nationals’ earlier abandonment of net-zero language accelerated the Liberals’ move by making Coalition unity harder to sustain if the Liberals retained the target. [4]
Party strategists argue that promises to limit energy costs and resist mandated closures will play to concerns among regional voters and some working-class electorates. [2]
How the leadership explained the decision
Sussan Ley told reporters the party would not pursue a policy of net zero while stressing Australia would remain in the Paris Agreement. [3]
Shadow ministers said emissions would be reduced “as fast as technology allows” and by benchmarking “comparable countries”, but they did not publish binding interim targets. [1]
Dan Tehan, the opposition energy spokesperson, said the Liberals would “throw all technologies” at emissions reduction and create market mechanisms rather than legislated mandates. [1]
Immediate reactions
The prime minister and Labor described the decision as walking away from climate responsibility and said it would undermine investment certainty. [1]
Environmental organisations warned the move risks higher future costs from worsening climate impacts and slower clean-energy investment. [1]
Some moderate Liberals publicly warned they might resign frontbench positions or quit if the party fully abandoned net-zero language. [5]
Legal and diplomatic implications
Experts have flagged that unpicking domestic targets while remaining a Paris signatory could raise questions about whether Australia is backsliding on its nationally determined contributions. [2]
Observers note the Paris framework expects progression in climate commitments and that abrupt reversals can damage international credibility. [3]
Electoral and economic consequences
Political analysts say abandoning net-zero risks alienating metropolitan and business voters who have increasingly treated climate policy as a deciding issue. [5]
Industry groups seeking policy certainty have warned that changing long-term targets creates investment uncertainty for renewables, storage and heavy-industry decarbonisation. [2]
What happens next
The Liberal and National parties have appointed three representatives each to negotiate a joint Coalition climate and energy position ahead of a full joint party room meeting. [4]
If the Coalition hopes to present a single platform at the next election, it will need to reconcile competing priorities on affordability, security, and emissions reduction. [1]
Bottom line
The Liberal Party’s decision to abandon a net-zero by 2050 commitment is a deliberate political repositioning that prioritises energy affordability and Coalition unity over settled long-term climate targets. [3]
The choice narrows policy differences with the Nationals but raises questions about international obligations, investor confidence and the Coalition’s appeal in urban electorates. [2]
References
- Liberal Party formally abandons net zero by 2050 climate target — ABC News
- Australia's conservative Liberal Party abandons net zero policy — Reuters
- Liberals formally abandon net zero by 2050 but Ley says reaching target would still be ‘welcome outcome’ — The Guardian
- The Liberal Party has dumped net zero — but the Coalition's real battle lies ahead — SBS News
- Ley's net zero decision may bring her extra time as leader, but at what cost? — ABC Analysis
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