Australia targets 62%–70% emissions cut by 2035, government says

Australia on Thursday announced a new target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 62% to 70% below 2005 levels by 2035, expanding the government's plan to achieve a 43% reduction by the end of this decade and net-zero emissions by 2050. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, leader of the center-left Labor Party, said the target is science-based and backed by a practical plan to protect the environment while supporting jobs and economic growth. He will take the 2035 target to the United Nations General Assembly next week.

Under the Paris climate accord signed more than a decade ago, nations are expected to increase their targets every five years. Albanese said the target is responsible and aligned with European Union thinking, with the EU considering a reduction of roughly 63% to 70% below 1990 levels. Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean said Australia’s 2035 goal demonstrates higher ambition than most other advanced economies. Environmental groups pressed for deeper cuts, while business groups warned that steep reductions could threaten exports and raise energy costs.

Greens senator Larissa Waters criticized the target as 'appallingly low,' saying the government’s actual target is 62% and accusing Labor of selling out to coal and gas firms. She told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the policy does not adequately address Australia’s coal and LNG exports. Waters described the target as a failure to meet climate needs. Andrew McKellar, chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, termed the 2035 target 'ambitious' but stressed the need for a sustainable pathway that preserves energy security and affordability.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley dismissed the target as not credible and argued the government would fail to meet its 2030 target. The government says it remains on track to narrowly achieve its 2030 target.