The Federal Government will resume talks with the Opposition on the Renewable Energy Target (RET) in early march.
The government returned to the negotiating table last month with talks set to continue when Parliament resumes in
the first week of March.
The current RET mandates that 20 per cent of energy or 41,000 gigawatts comes from renewable energy sources
by 2020.
But the Federal Government wants to reduce that figure claiming the current figure actually represents 27 per cent of energy use, not 20 per cent.
But Labor, the Greens and some crossbench senators oppose the cut. Opposition environment spokesman Mark Butler said Labor is willing to make a “modest adjustment” to the current RET.
“Australians know they’re vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It is the 21st century challenge but we know the Prime Minister Tony Abbott still lives in the 18th century,” Butler said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced the formation of a special taskforce to set a post-2020 emissions reduction target.
He said the government will review its international emissions reduction targets and settings in the lead up to the Paris Climate Conference in December.
“This review will take into consideration action taken by the major economies and our major trading partners,” Abbott said.
“Any new post-2020 target will be announced in mid-2015 after the taskforce has completed its work.