In explaining the Nationals’ decision to abandon the policy of pursuing net zero emissions by 2050, leader David Littleproud said the party was not opposed to reducing emissions, but that it was unfair that Australia was reducing emissions so much faster than its peers.

“We believe that we can peg ourselves to the rest of the world. We’re not going to be a laggard, but we’re not going to streak ahead,” Littleproud said, with direct reference to nations in the OECD.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said his party was not opposed to emissions reductions cuts, but Australia should not lead the pack.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Nationals senator Matt Canavan, who led a party review into net zero with his colleague Ross Cadell and the Nationals-aligned Page Research Centre, said Australia was reducing its greenhouse gas emissions at twice the rate of other rich nations, a figure that would grow to three times the rate in the coming years.

“No, it’s not,” says Australian National University professor Frank Jotzo, director of the Centre for Climate and Energy Policy.

Yet, under international emission reduction accounting rules, Australia can rightly claim to have reduced emissions more than its OECD peers, as........

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