Nicolette Boele (Bradfield, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. The Climate Council has advised that Australia's 2035 climate target will not be credible unless it includes a commitment to an orderly phase-out of fossil fuel use, production and exports. As a hopeful host to COP31 and to respond to the pleas of our friends in the Pacific, what is the Australian government's plan for that fossil fuel phase-out?

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question, and I say to the honourable member, as I'd say to the Climate Council, the way to reduce fossil fuel use is to build renewable energy. You can't wish away fossil fuels. You can't have a plan to reduce fossil fuel use in Australia or overseas unless you have a plan to build renewable energy. That's what we're doing at home and that's what we're doing abroad. Just yesterday, I announced the expansion of the Capacity Investment Scheme of 8 gigawatts. This is no small thing. Those opposite—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I apologise, I should have give an trigger warning when I mentioned renewable energy. That's on me. That building of renewable energy is the key to a lower emissions energy system, a more reliable energy system and a cheaper energy system. In the last financial year, we saw 4.4 gigawatts of new renewable energy connected—not investment decisions, not plans, but up and running, built and operating and providing energy to Australian houses and industries today. But, even more impressive, there were more than 15 gigawatts which received connection approvals, which means they're coming; they're in the pipeline. That is a massive pipeline of investment for Australia.

When it comes to internationally, I'd make a similar point. You simply can't say that we can abolish fossil fuels or fossil fuel exports and make a difference, unless you are working with countries to reduce their use of fossil fuels. When the Prime Minister recently went to China, green iron was a centrepiece of his visit—a visit that was so immaturely criticised by those opposite, which showed that they just don't get it when it comes to relationships with major trading partners. That's the sort of work that the Prime Minister has also done in his landmark agreement with the Prime Minister of India, which is working to see them embrace more renewable energy and Australia's renewable energy exports. That's the sort of agreement and working together that is hard work—harder than issuing a press release or calling for something. That is hard work, domestically and internationally, which sees real emissions reduction. That's what we see more and more.

I've also been in discussions with the new administration in South Korea on similar plans to work more closely on Australia's renewable energy future and renewable energy exports, which will see emissions come down in Australia and overseas. That's what real reform looks like. It's not issuing a press release. It's not calling for a slogan; it is hard work at home and abroad, and that's what this prime minister and this government do.