Nature Positive: Anthony Albanese shuts door on Greens deal after rejecting ‘climate trigger’ push

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Nature Positive: Anthony Albanese shuts door on Greens deal after rejecting ‘climate trigger’ push

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shut down the prospect of adding a “climate trigger” to pass Labor’s Nature Positive laws, overruling Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek after she revealed she was considering the demand in a deal with the Greens.

Ms Plibersek last week sent industry into a panic after revealing she was in talks with the Greens to pass controversial laws to establish a new Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

She refused to rule out a deal even after Labor pulled the laws from debate following a major backlash from business.

But the Prime Minister drew a line through a deal on Monday as he rejected the Greens’ key demand for climate change to be factored into the environmental approval process.

Mr Albanese confirmed he was opposed to adding either a firm “climate trigger” or vaguer “climate considerations” to federal nature laws, insisting pollution from mining and industrial projects was already managed under the Commonwealth’s safeguard mechanism.

“With regard to climate trigger and other things that they’re (Greens) raising, I’ve made it clear … that I don’t support adding a trigger to that legislation,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Parliament House.

“Climate issues are dealt with through the safeguard mechanism.

“We’ve dealt with that. We have a target for 43 per cent and we have a vehicle for emissions of large emitters as well as part of that program.”

Asked to clarify his position on requiring “climate considerations” as part of the assessment of projects, Mr Albanese was unequivocal: “I’ve indicated clearly that there are measures in place already”.

The firm stance means that unless the Greens drop their central demand then Labor’s only hope of passing the legislation is through a deal with the Coalition.

The laws are listed in the Senate on Wednesday after being pulled last Thursday following a major backlash from big business sparked by Ms Plibersek’s public flirtation with a Greens deal.

Business and mining groups, as well as the WA Government, are vehemently opposed to a “climate trigger”, adamant it would slow projects — including those critical to the green energy transition.

More to come

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