Coal news and updates

NSW government sets more ambitious 50pc emissions reduction target for 2030

The NSW government has committed to an ambitious new emissions reduction target, pledging to halve greenhouse gas pollution by 2030.

The 50 per cent target is a steep increase on the government's previous 35 per cent goal to reduce emissions below 2005 levels by 2030.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it was all part of the state's plan to get to net zero by 2050.

"Our net zero plan is expected to attract more than $37 billion in private-sector investment into NSW," she said.

"This policy is about putting policies in place to give industry and investors certainty, not only to protect our planet but to futureproof our prosperity."

The interim target brings NSW in line with Victoria, which has a 45 to 50 per cent aspiration for 2030, and closer to South Australia which is aiming for more than a 50 per cent reduction by 2030.

South Australia is already more than 50 per cent of the way to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

There are still questions around how meaningful these targets were to global efforts to address climate change.

The UK-based climate and energy think tank, Ember, found emissions from Australian coal burnt overseas released was double the country's domestic greenhouse gas footprint in 2020.

In an interview with ABC Radio Sydney on Wednesday morning, the Premier would not confirm whether the modelling accounted for the agricultural sector, which according to the Climate Council accounts for up to 13 per cent of the country's carbon footprint.

Environment Minister Matt Kean said, who said stepping ahead of the Commonwealth was "the right thing to do", said countries were responsible for their own emissions target.

Mr Kean also said the modelling for the new emissions target "considered the growth of the coal sector" in NSW.

"A number of those countries we send our coal to have also committed to net zero emissions," he said.

"So the coal industry here in NSW won't be affected by domestic policy makers, it is going to be affected by the decisions of borders overseas and governments overseas."

He was confident the state government's electric vehicle policy and its investment in renewable energy infrastructure would ensure the new target was met.

The commitment comes at a time when there is growing division within the federal Coalition over setting a net zero emissions target by 2050.

Mr Kean said his colleagues in federal parliament were "not being ambitious enough".

"My message to the Commonwealth is get on with it, this is not only the right thing to do, it is also the economically rational thing to do, because it is in our nation's economic interest," he said.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie this week openly criticised some of her Liberal colleagues for advocating for a target.

But in NSW, the Coalition partners are aligned.

Nationals leader and Deputy Premier John Barilaro has given his full support to the new target.

"The entire state will benefit from the economic and employment opportunities in low-carbon technologies," Mr Barilaro said.

"We will continue to take action in a way that delivers more jobs and more investment for people in the city and the bush."

The federal government's current position is that net zero will "preferably" be reached by 2050 and it has committed to reducing emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2030. 

On September 1, the NSW government began providing rebates and phased out stamp duty for some electric vehicles (EVs) as part of its strategy which aims to increase EV sales to 52 per cent by 2030–31.