Coalition's Emissions "Plan"

In November 2025, the Coalition released their emissions plan which is clear on what they will do but contains no analysis of the benefits and risks nor any economic modelling of the costs.

Their Plan:

Net zero "whenever it happens"
Scrap vehicle emission standard
Can't impose mandated costs
No compromise to "way of life"
Market knows best

Their Rationale:

We're "ahead of the pack"
Only need to do our "fair share"
Net zero is pushing up prices
Can ignore Paris commitments

Fatal Flaws:

No economic modelling.
No analysis of consequences
Makes Australia a pariah state
No impact for 15 years

The science is clear and irrefutable and the intelligent world knows we simply must reduce emissions to avoid future climate catastrophe. Every nation must do their share, no matter how small that is. The Nationals have never accepted climate change despite their farmer voter base seeing and feeling the impact every day. Now they are dragging the Liberals with them. They are condemning our children and grandchildren to a world warmed by up to 4 deg C by 2100, with all the existential threats that will result. Is this what you want for your children and their children?

Some Reality Checking

We're "ahead
of the pack" and only need do "our fair share"

We are not “ahead of the pack”; we are the second highest CO2 emitter in the OECD and the third highest emitter per capita in the world.
To do our “fair share”, we need to get our emissions per capita down by 54% first; from 14.5 tonnes per person to 6.5 tonnes per person.
If we add in the massive emissions resulting from our exports of coal and gas (which underpin our wealth), we are responsible for nearly 5% of global emissions.

We have no moral basis to say we don't want to do our part anymore.

We can safely ignore Paris commitments

They claim there will be no adverse consequences from abandoning an official net zero target but:

Europe already has a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism which adds tariffs to exports from countries with weak net zero targets. Have they calculated the cost to our exports of this tax?
Our Pacific island neighbours look to us rather than China for leadership and security as they face rising sea levels. Have they factored in the risk of abandoning net zero pushing them into closer ties with China, to the detriment of our national security?

The rest of the world will not accept their position and there will be economic consequence for us.

Market knows best

The only thing an unfettered market knows is how to advance the interests of their shareholders over those of society at large. We can see this in the ongoing rise of the ultra-wealthy and decline of the fortunes of the average Australian.
In times of transition and change, Governments simply must shape the national direction.

Australia doesn't trust market forces and expects Governments to act for them, not corporations

Net zero is pushing up energy prices

Yes, electricity prices are up 39% since 2022 but the experts are clear on the causes:

The Ukraine war surged energy costs globally, especially for gas and coal. EVERY advanced economy's electricity price went up, the UK's by up to 400%.
Ingoing multiple coal-plant failures continue to push up local holesale electricity costs (source).
Weather events - floods, storms, etc – have affected coal output.
They also state that prices would be higher still if not for our high levels of renewables.