Government risks clash with states under plan to cement emission targets in law

The federal government is heading off attempts to inject more flexibility into the flagship National Energy Guarantee to adjust a 26 per cent cut to carbon emissions by 2030, insisting the target will be cemented in federal law.

 Minister for Environment and
Energy Josh Frydenberg.

The federal stance will set up a crucial hurdle to any changes to the target despite Canberra's offer of an “olive branch” to the states and territories on Wednesday to allow a review of the target in 2024, five years earlier than expected.

Fairfax Media understands some of the key parties to the discussions on the policy have canvassed a change that would allow a future federal energy minister to lift the target by regulation if the 2024 review recommended greater ambition to tackle climate change.

Read the story by David Crowe and Peter Hannam from The Age - “Government risks clash with states under plan to cement emission targets in law.”