Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a press conference on March 05, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Sex Discrimination Minister Kate Jenkins has been appointed to lead a review into workplace culture at Parliament House. Photo: VCG

Coal-rich Australia unveiled a much-delayed 2050 net zero emissions target Tuesday, in a plan that pointedly dodged thorny details or near-term goals ahead of a landmark UN climate summit.

Widely seen as a climate laggard, Australia is one of the world's largest coal and gas exporters.

For the last eight years, its conservative government has resisted action to reduce emissions, routinely approving new coal projects and peddling skepticism about climate change.

Under domestic and international pressure, Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday announced a shift in approach and acknowledged the "world is changing."

Just how Australia will get to net zero by 2050 carbon emissions remains unclear, with the government refusing to release its modeling.

The plan would invest $15 billion in low-emission technologies over the next decade, but it also leans heavily on unproven technologies and carbon offsets, which critics deride as an accounting gimmick.

And Morrison was keen to stress he was not dropping long-running support for the country's lucrative fossil fuel industry.

"It will not shut down our coal or gas production or exports," Morrison said. 

AFP