Albanese victory is a win for climate, experts saypublished at 03:59 British Summer Time 4 May
Climate experts say Labor’s victory last night shows Australia is “staying the course” on climate and the transition to renewable energy.
“This was an energy referendum. Nuclear bombed at the ballot,” says Amanda McKenzie, chief of the Climate Council.
The Liberal National Coalition had made a major push for nuclear power, making it one of the centrepieces of their campaign.
David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, says the results show the nation has “comprehensively rejected the Coalition’s Trumpist” climate agenda. It is now up to Albanese to “listen to Australians”, he adds.
Following its re-election, Labor will “double down on international climate action”, according to Dr Wesley Morgan, a research associate at UNSW.
But it will also face pressure to stop approving new coal and gas projects, Morgan adds, as Australia remains one of the world’s largest exporters of those fossil fuels.
