The Victorian government says it’s unfair to ask states and territories to sign up to the Turnbull Government’s National Energy Guarantee (NEG) if the Coalition’s own climate change deniers won’t approve it.
Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said to do so would be a “leap of faith” because the government’s “coal ideologues” have threatened to vote against the NEG if it favours clean energy like solar over coal.
Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg is trying to damp down conflict ahead of the all-important COAG meeting on August 10. This is where states will vote to approve or veto the controversial NEG policy.
Two-step process to reach NEG consensus
Frydenberg has even offered the states a two-step process to keep them at the table. This involves a subsequent meeting on August 14 where states will be shown details of the NEG’s emission reduction target legislation.
Under the two-step process, state ministers would sign off on design details of the NEG mechanism including the emissions component. This would happen at the first meeting of the Council of Australian Governments on August 10.
A proposed second meeting on August 14 would then allow states to see the Commonwealth legislation relating to emissions, as reported by the Guardian.
NEG hijacking by Climate Change deniers?
However, D’Ambrosio says there are no guarantees the Coalition party room won’t be hijacked by climate sceptics. These include former PM Tony Abbott’s pro-coal lobby, which aims to build new coal-fired plants.
The states also want the NEG to reflect a more ambitious emissions reduction target. Because of this, some are pushing to see detailed modelling behind the final design paper before approving it.
Current NEG emissions target too low
The current NEG carbon emissions target aims for a 26 per cent reduction of 2005 levels by 2030. However, states and industry bodies say this should be far more ambitious to combat climate change.
A report by Greenpeace Australia also shows the NEG is likely to stunt renewable energy growth, including solar installations.
According to the Guardian, Frydenberg has therefore suggested an adjustable emissions target to be reviewed after five years. The current target is locked in for a decade.
States and territories must unanimously pass the NEG legislation.
