LNP Brisbane city council still ‘absolutely committed’ to net zero despite federal dumping
Liberal National Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the council was “absolutely committed” to achieving net zero in Brisbane despite federal colleagues backing off on climate policy and the city recently recording a rise in emissions.
Brisbane City Council, one of the country’s most senior LNP governments, has pledged to reduce carbon emissions by at least 30 per cent before the 2032 Olympic Games and fully offset their production by 2050.
Emissions were “temporarily increased” due to the construction of the Metro and Kangaroo Point Bridge, Schrinner said on Tuesday, after being pressed by Greens councilor Seal Chong Wah.
“Both are sustainable infrastructures that reduce long-term emissions for society,” Schrinner said.
“We are proud of our investment because by investing now and ensuring construction creates a short reduction in emissions, we are achieving a long-term reduction in our city’s emissions.”
The Lord Mayor ruled out any change in party position at local government level.
“I can say that we are absolutely committed to our emissions reduction targets,” the Lord Mayor said.
“We are working hard to achieve this across the entire parliament.”
Schrinner listed the introduction of electric buses, streetlight replacement, solar installations and improved recycling as examples of the council’s commitment to the environment.
However, this was rejected by Labor opposition council leader Jared Cassidy.
“Adrian Schrinner says one thing to the public and another to the party room,” he said in a statement.
“The Mayor claims people using the 45 metro buses will reduce carbon emissions, when in reality the bus network review will divert more people to cars.”
The federal Liberal and National parties have independently abandoned their net zero commitments in 2025.
The LNP state government has abandoned renewable energy targets and extended the life of coal-fired power stations in Queensland, but Premier David Crisafulli has repeatedly said the state will not scrap its net-zero energy commitment by 2050.
Tony Wood, senior researcher on energy and climate change at the Grattan Institute, said at the time that he believed it would be “very difficult” to achieve these targets under the plan.
“I don’t understand how you can still keep so much coal-fired capacity operating in the mid-2040s and effectively go to zero by 2050,” he said in the blurb.
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