Coalition in open revolt over net zero, questions science of climate impact report

The federal opposition is on the edge of open revolt over a bombshell climate report, with one frontbencher threatening to resign and a Nationals senator likening the report to a biblical apocalyptic screed.

The National Climate Risk Assessment, released on Monday, laid out a catastrophic vision of Australia’s future if climate change runs unchecked, underpinning Labor’s plan to update its emissions reduction target.

But warnings of a concerning uptick in heat-related deaths and ballooning risks for coastal towns as sea levels rise were brushed off by opposition home affairs spokesman and future Liberal leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie.

The Western Australian MP told ABC radio he was prepared to quit the shadow frontbench or be sacked if the Liberal Party didn’t abandon its 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target, which is currently under review by energy spokesman Dan Tehan.

Mr Hastie said he still supported the leadership of Sussan Ley, but his mission was to build “a stronger, more secure, more competitive Australia”.

“I’ve nailed my colours to the mast,” he said on Monday in the wake of the report.

The prominent conservative’s comments will further ratchet up the pressure Ms Ley, who has consistently said she wants to let the post-election review process play out before a decision is reached on net zero.

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, a long-time net zero critic, backed Mr Hastie’s stance.

“I’ve been saying for a long time that net zero is not working for Australia or Australians,” the Queensland senator told ABC radio on Tuesday.

“Andrew, like many Australians, are waking up to the fact that the hype around net zero is not matching the reality.”

Senator Canavan questioned the accuracy of the report, accusing the authors of spreading fear rather than conducting an objective scientific analysis of climate risks.

“It reads like the Book of Daniel, not a government report,” he said, referring to the Old Testament text, which references the end times.

“I mean, I like government reports that are sober and reasonable, not dramatic.”

Moderate Liberal Tim Wilson, whose websitepromotes his role in implementing Australia’s first plan to reach net zero by 2050 as an assistant minister in the Morrison government, played down the need to reduce emissions.

“I don’t think people are stressed about us having emissions reduction,” he told Sky News. 

“But we want to make sure that energy policy is driven by net zero price increases and net zero outages.”

At a crunch moment for climate policy, the report authors will be grilled about Australia’s vulnerabilities to weather hazards and the government’s plan to manage them by a Senate committee in parliament on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the risk assessment as a wake-up call for anyone who denied climate change existed, as his government prepares to release its 2035 emissions target in the coming days.

The cost of disaster recovery payments could rise by $40 billion a year as climate hazards compounded, the report warned.

It painted a sobering picture of Australia’s ecosystems, economy and way of life under global warming above pre-industrial levels.

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen acknowledged many Australians would find the climate impacts “confronting” but a vital reminder to keep cutting emissions.

Ms Ley and her deputy Ted O’Brien have advocated for “credible” targets that don’t overburden households and businesses.

“We need to reduce emissions, but not at any cost,” they said in a joint statement.

A sharp increase in deaths due to heatwaves was among the most concerning findings of the climate risk assessment.

In addition, as many as 1.5 million people could be impacted by coastal extremes, such as flooding and cyclones, by 2050.

The vulnerabilities of coral reefs to higher ocean temperatures have been well-documented.

But broad-based ecosystem changes can also be expected, with about half the native plant species found in any location anticipated to be different at 3C of warming.