The WA Liberals have announced a plan to shut down coal by 2025
The Liberals in WA just announced one of the most ambitious climate change platforms in the country.
It includes no coal after 2025, zero emissions by 2030, big investments in hydrogen and a renewable energy "mega-project".
THE FOUR MAIN POINTS
Invest in hydrogen: incentivise the private sector to invest $9 billion in a port that would export 250,000 tonnes of green hydrogen each year.
End coal: shut down the state-owned Muja and Collie coal-fired power stations within four years.
Build more wind and solar: help build 6,000 megawatts worth of wind and solar farms.
Net zero 2030: commit to WA producing net zero emissions within a decade.
The announcement comes a month before WA's state election, which polls predict Labor Premier Mark McGowan will win.
SO WILL THE POLICY BE IMPLEMENTED?
Premier McGowan's approval rating is the highest of any Premier in the country. It's unlikely he'll lose the election - which means it's unlikely we'll see the WA Liberals' climate policy implemented.
But with a federal election potentially coming up later this year, the policy could influence how the Morrison government thinks about climate change. It might even encourage Premier McGowan to respond by making his own climate policies more ambitious.
"What comes next for WA, after COVID-19, when we start to build back? We need a jobs plan to take WA forward. The Liberals' New Energy Jobs Plan is the biggest jobs plan for WA in generations and will lead us forward into a post-COVID recovery." - WA Liberals leader Zak Kirkup on Thursday.