Scott Morrison confirms he will attend Cop 26 conference in two weeks

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Scott Morrison confirms he will attend Cop 26 conference in two weeks

Scott Morrison has confirmed he will attend the Cop 26 conference in Glasgow in two weeks, but has signalled it might take a week rather than days to reach an agreement with Nationals on new climate policy initiatives.

Given the proximity of the United Nations-led summit, organisers required nations, including Australia, to confirm their representation at the event so that speaking slots for leaders can be assigned.

Morrison, who has been equivocating about his attendance for several weeks in part, was willing to avoid irritating Nationals inclined to accuse the prime minister of presiding over a policy stitch-up confirmed on Friday he would attend the Cop 26, because it was important. However, given Nationals are complaining privately about being railroaded by the Liberals, Morrison was careful to say no agreement had been reached with the junior Coalition partner about commitments for the conference. The National Party Room will meet on Sunday.

Morrison had been hopeful Canberra's new policy commitments for Glasgow would be unveiled early next week, once parliament MPs returned to Canberra for a new parliamentary sitting fortnight.

On Friday, the prime minister pushed out the timetable.

The government will finalise its position for me to take my position to the summit prior to my departure over the next few days, Morrison told journalists in Sydney.

We re working through those issues with our cabinet and colleagues and I look forward to those discussions over the next couple of weeks. In reality, Morrison is laying the groundwork for Australia to adopt a net zero commitment since Joe Biden won the US presidential election and brought back the US to Paris from the UN.

As well as landing 2050, the Prime Minister has also told other colleagues he wants to increase Australia's existing 2020 emissions reduction target as part of his current negotiations with the Nationals.

New emission projections to be outlined shortly are expected to forecast Australia will beat the current target of a 26 - 28% reduction in 2030 compared with 2005 levels, and the prime minister wants to reflect this in a new target outlined ahead of Glasgow.

But with some Nationals openly hostile to signing up to a mid-century net zero commitment and others on fence, it is unclear whether Morrison will have the political capital to be able to take the extra step and increase the 2030 target.

Sources say Australia has raised with both the UK and US governments the idea of publicly declaring it would overachieve on its 2030 target without formally increasing the goal, but both allies have pressed Morrison to deliver the formal increase rather than window dressing.

Given the nationals with 2050 are not yet close at hand and the internal debate is at a delicate stage, the prime minister chose his words about his policy aspirations carefully on Friday.

A simple clarification outlined to everyone that net zero was an outcome I outlined at the beginning of this year consistent with our Paris commitments, the prime minister said.

The challenge is not about the if and the when, it is about what, he said. They will have a real impact in Australia. Morrison said that the transition roadmap that has been considered by the Government s Leadership Group, Nationals Ministers and Cabinet this week was about ensuring that our regions are strong, that our regions jobs are not only protected but have opportunities for the future. It is not just about hitting net zero, he said. What is important is that Australia's economy goes from strength to strength and the livelihoods and lives of Australians, particularly in rural and regional areas, are able to go forward with confidence and hope and confidence. The roadmap outlining Australia s transition to net zero was discussed for the first time on Wednesday afternoon by Cabinet.

Ahead of the deliberation, sceptical Nationals asked Angus Taylor, minister for energy and emissions reduction, to supply all assumptions underpinning Treasury modelling informing the roadmap, not just the top-line findings.

Some nationals remain implacably opposed to adopting net zero and the junior Coalition partner will demand new commitments in return for supporting any change in climate policy to revitalise regional Australia and boost employment in return for supporting any change in economy.