Turnbull Slams Liberals’ ‘Trumpian Campaign Against Renewables’ as Party Ditches Net Zero Target

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused his own party of waging a “Trumpian campaign against renewables” after the Liberal Party abandoned its 2050 net zero emissions target, a decision that has ignited fierce divisions within the Coalition and drawn sharp backlash from environmental groups and moderate MPs.

Turnbull, ousted in 2018 partly over energy policy disputes, said the move proved the Liberals “do not take climate change seriously.” Speaking to Guardian Australia, he added: “This is what happens when you outsource your policy development to Sky News and the rightwing media echo chamber.” He warned that the decision would cement public perception that the party was aligning itself with anti-renewable rhetoric rather than credible climate action.

The rollback dismantles both the Coalition’s previous 2050 net zero commitment and its support for Labor’s 2035 targets and renewable energy goals. While conservatives celebrated the shift, moderates and independents branded it “reckless” and “a massive step backwards.”

Rightwing group Advance, which had lobbied aggressively for the policy reversal, hailed it as “a major victory in the fight to take back the country from activists and elites.” Nationals leader David Littleproud praised the move, saying it “mirrors” his party’s stance, while Queensland MP Garth Hamilton called it “a great win from the backbench.”

Moderate voices within the Liberal Party were far less enthusiastic. Tim Wilson, Andrew Bragg, Maria Kovacic, and Dave Sharma reportedly warned of major electoral fallout in metropolitan seats, where climate action remains a key voter issue. Former MP Jason Falinski cautioned against becoming “Nationals-lite,” questioning how the policy could possibly win new voters.

Environmental groups condemned the decision. The Australian Conservation Foundation said the Liberals had “given up on climate action and caved to global fossil fuel giants.” The Climate Council warned that walking away from net zero aligned with more than 3°C of global warming, spelling “disaster for Australia’s climate, economy, and household bills.”

Political opponents were equally scathing. Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young called the announcement a “train wreck,” while independent MPs Zali Steggall and Monique Ryan said the party had “consigned itself to electoral oblivion.”

Experts also flagged economic concerns. Tony Wood of the Grattan Institute said the move undermined investor confidence and created long-term uncertainty. “The idea that Australia would no longer have a clear direction but just ‘follow everybody else’ is not helpful for investors,” he said.

Despite the backlash, Liberal moderates admitted they were forced to “accept” the position for now, calling the outcome “pretty brutal.” Turnbull, however, summed up the sentiment of many critics: “No amount of nuance or footnotes will change the impression that the Liberals have turned their backs on climate leadership.”

Political-party net-zero backtracking creates real policy-risk uncertainty for Australian corporates planning long-horizon transition capex, and it forces boards to plan against a wider spread of political outcomes than they'd been assuming. Our climate-action and market-intelligence teams help clients build scenario planning robust across shifting political signals.