Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor will attend the opening week of COP26 to promote Australia as a safe and reliable destination for investment in gas, hydrogen and new energy technologies and present our strong track record in reducing emissions during high-level talks in Rome, Glasgow and London.

Minister Taylor will also meet with counterparts to advance Australia’s low emissions technology partnerships and to strengthen cooperation with countries in our region. 

Australia is committed to a successful outcome at the global COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said ahead of his departure for the summit.

“COP26 is an opportunity for all countries to come together to confront the challenge of reducing emissions while continuing to grow economies and create jobs,” Minister Taylor said.

“Our approach is focused on developing solutions that will make net zero practically achievable for all countries.

“The most important legacy this summit could have is a genuine, global commitment to a step up in collaboration on the technology solutions needed to achieve net zero.

“Accelerating the development and deployment of new and emerging low emissions technologies is a way forward that all countries can unite behind.

“This week the Morrison Government released our Plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

“We are backing this target with practical, responsible action and a clear plan to convert ambition into achievement.”

Today, the Government will communicate an updated and enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat.

The updated NDC will affirm Australia’s net zero emissions by 2050 target, the seven low emissions technology stretch goals set out in our Plan, and our commitment to meeting and beating our 2030 Paris target.

New forecasts released this week show Australia is on track to reduce emissions by up to 35 per cent by 2030 (expressed in budget accounting terms consistent with our 2030 Paris target), or up to a 38 per cent point-in-time reduction in 2030.

Between 2005 and 2021, Australia’s emissions fell by 20.8 per cent, outpacing the reductions of the United States, Canada and New Zealand, and every other major commodity exporting nation in the world.

Australia’s long-term emissions reduction plan will achieve net zero by 2050 while growing Australia’s economy, and providing the low-emission technologies and solutions that other countries need to achieve their own net zero ambitions.

“Our Plan will help position Australia as a new energy economy leader in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific,” Minister Taylor said.

“Our Technology Investment Roadmap will guide more than $80 billion of total public and private investment over the next decade to accelerate low-emissions technology deployment.

“Australia is play a leading role in helping to develop low-emissions technologies, such as clean hydrogen, ultra low  cost solar, carbon capture and storage, low  emissions materials like steel and aluminium, energy storage and soil carbon measurement.

“Our focus is on getting new low-emissions technologies to parity with existing approaches – or preferably even cheaper – as soon as possible.

“This is the only way to make net zero emissions achievable for all countries.”

Media contact:

Minister Taylor's office 02 6277 7120