Government MPs push for renewables funding to boost climate credentials

A group of Liberal backbenchers believe the government’s weak climate policies are an electoral liability and are agitating for a host of pre-election pledges including funding for renewable energy development, expansion of the hydrogen industry and helping the nation adapt to global warming.

Government backbenchers say the Coalition needs stronger
policies to convince voters it is serious about addressing climate change. 

The push follows Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s acknowledgment this month that climate change contributed to recent devastating extreme weather events, and comes as the Australian Renewable Energy Agency reveals it is fast running out of money to fund projects critical to shifting the nation to a low carbon economy.

Internal agreement on climate change policy has been the Achilles heel of the Coalition’s two terms in office and Mr Morrison has said the government will make new pledges on the issue ahead of the May election.

Read the story from The Age by Nicole Hasham and Peter Hannam - “Government MPs push for renewables funding to boost climate credentials.”