Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed that U.S presidential election winner Joe Biden won’t change Australia’s approach to climate action.
In what comes as frustrating news to many, the Federal Government has refused to commit to net-zero emissions by 2050, as reported by ABC News.
According to ABC News, Biden’s campaign platform included aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and achieving a carbon-free energy sector by 2035.
Despite this, Scott Morrison has insisted that Australia’s policies will be based on our own “national interests,” rather than what Joe Biden and his Government have planned.
“Australia will always set its policies based on Australia’s national interests and the contributions we’re making in these areas,” he said.
“United States will make their decisions based on their interests and their capabilities and how their economy is structured and we’ll do the same.”
Morrison continued on to explain that climate policies are not “one size fits all,” and that Australia will instead focus on its Technology Roadmap.
“Our goal is to achieve that as soon as you can, but we will do it on a basis of a technology roadmap,” he said.
“So we have the technology to achieve lower emissions in the future… you have got to have the plan to get there.”
As reported by ABC News, Morrison‘s comments come off the back of the Government’s release of the Technology Investment Roadmap back in September.
The Roadmap outlines a change in Australia’s approach to reducing carbon emissions, with an emphasis on supporting heavy industry and backing a select few technologies.
The priority technologies in question include hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, soil carbon, storage options and ‘low-carbon’ steel and aluminium production, ABC News reported.
