OPINION: 'I take targets seriously' Nats Senator Perin Davey on 2050 net-zero

I took a call in my office from a man complaining about The Nationals' policy on climate change.

The premise of his argument was that we should sign up to net zero by 2050 because that is what every other country has done.

I explained that our policy is to work with our communities and industries to strive for a cleaner future but did not want to commit to a target unless we were sure we could achieve it without harming them.

His response was, "just because you set a target, doesn't mean you have to reach it."

I was gobsmacked.

"It's a target not an obligation," he said.

If we sign up to an agreement, if we sign up to a target, we are obligated to deliver.

That is what we did when we signed the Kyoto Agreement nearly a quarter of a century ago.

That is also what we did in the following Doha Amendment and what we will do with the Paris Agreement.

We take these commitments very seriously.

When I said I wanted to better understand the pathway to net zero, this caller told me "it doesn't matter, it's 29 years away."

It matters to me.

We know the National Farmers' Federation supports an "economy-wide aspiration of net zero emissions by 2050."

But we also know that past policies applied to deliver on these commitments hurt our agricultural sector and we don't want a repeat of that.

Under policies we implemented for Kyoto, we saw funding go to the States who then locked up land and undermined farmers property rights. I don't want to see that happen again.

In Western Australia we have seen swathes of farmland purchased by oil and gas companies for "native reforestation" which provides an offset for about 25 years but is taken out of agricultural production forever.

I want future policies to embrace opportunities for emissions reduction and sequestration in the farm and forestry sectors.

I know the agricultural sector is committed to emissions reductions. To date over half the projects and carbon credits delivered through the Emissions Reduction Fund have been agricultural projects.

More work needs to be done to fully understand and develop carbon capture and storage, hydrogen energy and other opportunities for a low emissions future.

That is why it was so frustrating to see the Greens and Labor join forces to prevent the government's proposal to enable the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to fund research and development in these fields.

As a National, I am open to all opportunities that will reduce emissions without punishing, taxing or hindering our farmers and our regional industries.

We need to support these industries as they strive to lower emissions and compete in the global marketplace.

And yes, we need to work towards net zero in a considered and practical way.

And to my caller, I think the Australian public are sick of politicians who make empty promises.

That is why I do not want to commit to net zero by 2050 unless I know I can deliver it.

*Perin Davey is a Nationals Senator