Australia stands on statement about gas beyond 2050 despite climate change concerns

• Australia plans to increase gas extraction and use until “2050 and beyond,” despite global calls to phase out fossil fuels.
• Gas accounts for 27% of Australia’s existing energy needs, with the bulk exported to countries like China, Japan, and South Korea.
• Critics argue that the policy prioritizes the interests of powerful fossil fuel companies over the people.

Australia has announced it will ramp up its extraction and use of gas until “2050 and beyond,” despite global calls to phase out fossil fuels. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government asserts that the move is necessary to shore up domestic energy supply while supporting a transition to net zero. However, critics argue that the move rejects science, pointing to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) call for “huge declines in the use of coal, oil, and gas” to reach climate targets.

Australia – one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas – has also stated that the policy is based on “its commitment to being a reliable trading partner.” Released on Thursday, the strategy outlines the government’s plans to collaborate with industry and state leaders to increase both the production and exploration of fossil fuels.

The government will also continue supporting the expansion of the country’s existing gas projects, with Chevron and Woodside Energy Group leading the largest projects in Western Australia. It argues that these moves are necessary for Australia’s domestic energy supply as it tracks towards its targets of delivering 82% renewable energy to the grid by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Currently, gas accounts for 27% of the country’s existing energy needs. Australia exports the bulk of its domestically produced gas to countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea. According to government data, gas is responsible for roughly a quarter of Australia’s total emissions.

The policy has sparked fierce backlash from environmental groups and critics, who argue that it puts the interests of powerful fossil fuel companies before people. “Fossil gas is not a transition fuel. It’s one of the main contributors to global warming and has been the largest source of increases of CO2 [emissions] over the last decade,” stated Prof Bill Hare, chief executive of Climate Analytics and author of numerous UN climate change reports, to the news.

Independent Senator David Pocock lashed out, describing it as “morally bankrupt, negligent, and just plain stupid” in a statement on Thursday. Successive Australian governments have touted gas as a key “bridging fuel,” arguing that turning it off too soon could have “significant adverse impacts” on Australia’s economy and energy needs.

But Prof Hare and other scientists have warned that building a net zero policy around gas will “contribute to locking in 2.7-3C global warming, which will have catastrophic consequences”. In 2015, world leaders promised to try to limit long-term temperature rises to 1.5C, which is seen as crucial to avoiding the most damaging impacts of climate change.

The EU’s climate service recently reported that the 1.5C limit was exceeded for the first time, from February 2023 to January 2024.

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