Australia’s leader says opposition will renege on greenhouse gas emissions target if elected

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the opposition Liberal Party will renege on the nation’s ambitious target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 if it wins elections due within a year. Albanese on Monday made Australian action on climate change an issue in elections due by next May in response to comments that Peter Dutton, leader of the conservative opposition party, made to a newspaper. Dutton said he opposes the center-left Labor Party government’s plan to reduce emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by the end of the decade. The opposition’s climate and energy spokesperson says Dutton was acknowledging that Australia would not meet the 43% target that Parliament enshrined into law in 2022.