Gas-led recovery architect backs net zero target by 2050

A former adviser to US presidents Obama and Trump who helped lay the roadmap for the Morrison government’s gas-led recovery strategy has warned Australia needs to adopt a formal target of zero net emmissions by 2050.

Andrew Liveris, who made his name as a long-serving chief executive of the giant Dow Chemical Company, last year chaired the COVID-19 Commission’s manufacturing taskforce that recommended a gas-driven strategy to create jobs in the sector.

Former Dow Chemical boss Andrew Liveris has backed a mix of solutions to get Australia to net zero by 2050.Credit:Louie Douvis

Asked whether Australian businesses needed a net zero target by 2050 on Thursday’s Q+A as global leaders are set to meet for a climate summit organised by US President Joe Biden, Mr Liveris was adamant.

“Totally, totally — and the entire Australian continent needs that because of the effects of climate,” he said. Presssed by Q+A host Hamish Macdonald on whether Australia should also set ambitious targets for the years before 2050, Mr Liveris demurred.

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But he said a price on carbon would help countries like Australia meet a 2050 target, along with a range of steps to ensure the transition to lower emissions did not hurt the economy.

Carbon sequestration, batteries, pipelines were all important, Mr Liveris said. And he argued there were hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs in areas such as plastics reliant on gas.

“These jobs need to be not only protected but we need to grow them,” he said. Cheaper gas would aid that, Mr Liveris said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has repeatedly said he wants Australia to have net zero emissions “as quickly as possible and preferably by 2050” but declined to make that a definite target. The United States and other countries are expected to announce new targets for deep emissions cuts at the summit, putting pressure on Australia.