Australia backs law to speed carbon emission cuts
Australia enshrined deeper cuts to carbon emissions in new legislation yesterday, aiming to shed its decade-long reputation as a fossil-fuel-addicted climate laggard.
Lawmakers in the lower house of parliament voted 89-55 in favour of a 43 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 from 2005 levels, on the path to reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
It is expected to go to the Senate for final approval in September.
Heavily reliant on coal for its electricity and one of the world's top exporters of fossil fuels, Australia's centre-left Labor Party government came to power in May promising swifter action to curb global warming.
Australians hit by increasingly ferocious bushfires and floods voted in large numbers for climate-aware candidates at the last election, helping to oust the previous conservative coalition government.
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