“It requires that we end our fossil fuel addiction, including coal,” Bainimarama said.

To pass the legislation, the ALP will need the support in the Senate of either the Coalition or the Greens and at least one independent.

The Herald urges the Coalition to support the bill and show they have turned their back on the crypto-climate denialism, which was a factor that cost them the May election. Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer has said she might cross the floor even if her party opposes the bill.

But given the continuing power of climate dinosaurs in the Coalition, the chances of a change of heart are not high.

That will put the fate of the bill in the hands of the Greens and the Senate crossbench.

Greens leader Adam Bandt has refused to back the bill, accusing Albanese of a “take it or leave it” approach and playing cynical wedge politics.

The Herald agrees a 43 per cent target is not ambitious enough.

And while Bandt is right to point out the shortcomings of the 43 per cent target, the Greens should still pass the bill.

The Greens should learn the lessons of 2009, when they blocked the Rudd government’s Climate Pollution Reduction Scheme, which they said was inadequate.

It was a stand of principle but the bitter split with the ALP confused voters and ultimately handed the initiative back to climate deniers.

Rather than blocking the legislation, this time the Greens should look for constructive compromise with the Albanese government.

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A number of teals, such as North Sydney MP Kylea Tink and ACT senator David Pocock, whose vote could be crucial, have called for amendments which will make it clear that the target is a floor and not a ceiling.

The bill should include a mechanism for regular review and upward revision of targets in the light of scientific and technological developments.

The debate over the legislation is important and emotive because setting an ambitious target will send a symbolic message to consumers, businesses and the world of Australia’s new direction.

But the legislation will not make a major difference in practice because it will not include any concrete policy measures. Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says he will achieve the emissions reductions relying on existing legislation.

He plans to subsidise a $20 billion upgrade of the electricity grid to connect solar and wind energy and set carbon emissions limits on big polluters using a “safeguard mechanism” which the Coalition legislated but never took seriously.

If the Greens and independents want to accelerate emissions reductions they should not get hung up on the target but look at policies such as these which will make a practical difference. For instance, they should demand vehicle fuel efficiency standards such as those that apply in other developed countries.

The target legislation should not be viewed as the end of a process but the start.

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