New climate minister says calls to raise Labor’s emissions target are ‘odd’ and asks Greens and independents to ‘respect our mandate across the country’
Australia’s new climate minister has vowed to quickly cut taxes on electric vehicles and meet with state counterparts to address a “real vacuum of national leadership” on energy, but says new climate legislation will be limited.
Speaking before being sworn in on Wednesday as the climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen said the Albanese government would introduce a climate bill that included its emissions reduction targets – including a 43% cut by 2030 compared with 2005 levels – because enshrining them in law was “best practice”.
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