Australia’s deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has mocked the British chair of the UN climate summit for becoming emotional about the watering down of language on coal, and for attempting to “shut down industries in other people’s countries”.
With the Australian government under pressure for first agreeing to a communique that flagged reviewing the current 2030 target before the Cop27 in Egypt – only to rule that same prospect out a few hours later – Barnaby Joyce on Monday went on the political offensive.
Joyce, the leader of the junior party in Australia’s Coalition government, ridiculed Alok Sharma, the UK cabinet minister who chaired Cop26 in Glasgow, for telling vulnerable nations on Saturday he was “deeply sorry” for the way the process had unfolded.
One of the biggest disagreements in the final hours of Cop26 was over the wording of an intention to abandon coal, which was watered down from a “phase-out” to a “phase-down” at the urging of India and China.
Joyce told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday the Australian government had done a “great job” to protect coalminers’ jobs before proceeding to mock Sharma.
“You know, it annoys me … what’s the guy’s name? Was it the chairman Sharma in Glasgow,” Joyce said to the ABC. “He was with his gavel and oh, I’m almost crying, I can’t do this.”
The Australian political leader also contended Sharma had displayed a double standard. “He wants to shut down our coal industry but he never talked about shutting down the oilfields in the North Sea, Brent oil, you know he doesn’t want to shut that down.”
“He wants to shut down industries in other people’s countries, not in his country.”
Boris Johnson’s conservative government announced earlier this year it would legislate a pledge to cut emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels.
Sharma attracted a round of applause on Saturday in the closing stages of Cop26.
His voice breaking with emotion after hearing from vulnerable nations which expressed their anger over the changes to the text, Sharma said: “May I just say to all delegates: I apologise for the way this process has unfolded and I am deeply sorry. I also understand the deep disappointment, but I think as you have noted, it’s also vital that we protect this package.”
But with a national election looming in Australia early next year, Joyce attempted to associate Sharma with “all the corporate billionaires and all the movie stars” who want to “shut down our industries”.
When the interviewer, Patricia Karvelas, suggested that Joyce was mocking the Cop26 chairman, he rejected that interpretation. “No, I’m cynical, cynical, cynical,” Joyce said.
Australia was the only major developed country that refused to increase its 2030 emissions reduction targets at the Cop26 in Glasgow. The Morrison government has faced sustained pressure from allies, including the UK, to increase the current commitment.
Ahead of the Glasgow summit, Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison had sounded out internal agreement for an increase in the current 2030 target, but the sortie was vetoed by Joyce.
Morrison instead used his national statement at the Cop26 to emphasise that Australia will probably overachieve on its 2030 emissions reduction target in an effort to blunt international criticism about his government’s lack of climate ambition.
While Australia supported language in the Glasgow communique pointing to a review of the 2030 target, in a statement issued in Australia shortly after the summit finished, ministers Marise Payne and Angus Taylor suggested the Coalition had no plans to ratchet up ambition.
The statement said Australia’s 2030 target was “fixed”.
The British Labour shadow climate change minister, Matthew Pennybrook, said on Twitter it was “deplorable” that the Australian government had declared its “feeble target” fixed so soon after approving a request that parties return next year with stronger 2030 climate targets.
Joyce – who campaigned against the former Labor government’s now abolished carbon price by claiming it may cause lamb roasts to rise to $100, and is already campaigning in coal seats ahead of next year’s election – also rejected claims that coal-fired power was on the way out as a consequence of the Glasgow summit.
“I’ve heard so many of these predictions over so many years,” Joyce said.
He also distanced his party from Australia’s support for the final communique. Joyce said he and the Nationals didn’t “sign” it even though the Liberals govern in coalition with the Nationals.
Joyce played down the idea of Australia revisiting its targets at next year’s Cop, saying that would be another “talkfest”.
“They can go back and if they want to talk about something and have another talk fest, knock yourself out, another talkfest somewhere else, have all the movie stars come back and all the billionaires and all the corporate jets.”
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