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The Greens have offered the government their necessary support for its signature climate change legislation, with a single condition that new coal and gas projects are blocked from development.
Key points:
- The Greens have offered support for the safeguard mechanism on the condition new coal and gas projects are banned
- The party says it is prepared to forgo other changes, including to climate targets and carbon credit schemes
- The government has previously opposed a moratorium on new coal and gas
The government will introduce its "safeguard mechanism" bill to the parliament this week, which would require the nation's top polluting facilities to reduce their emissions by 4.9 per cent each year to 2030, or face penalties.
The mechanism is the core of the government's plan to reduce emissions by 43 per cent by the decade's end.
The Greens say that is a weak target, and hold concerns that the safeguard mechanism would allow facilities to buy offsets to cover their obligations instead of cutting emissions.
But Greens leader Adam Bandt says the party is willing to put aside those concerns if the government will accept a single amendment to block new coal and gas projects.
"We're prepared to live with those and give Labor's scheme a go if Labor is prepared to stop opening coal and gas mines," Mr Bandt said.
"The Coalition has said no, that they're not interested, that means the government needs the Greens to get this through parliament.
"We are up for good-faith discussions with them, but the sticking point at the moment is new coal and gas projects."
More than 100 gas and coal projects would be blocked under proposal
The Department of Industry, Resources and Energy has recorded more than 100 coal and gas projects either in development or being considered with commercial start dates before 2030.
Some of those projects are small expansions but others such as the Scarborough and Browse gas developments would become among the biggest in the country.
Mr Bandt says the government's 43 per cent emissions target would be "beyond reach" if those projects proceeded.
But with just months until the government's intended July start date for the proposed laws, it would cause a drastic change in the nation's energy trajectory.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has repeatedly said the government would not agree to a moratorium on new coal and gas.
The Greens say any counteroffer made by Labor would be taken to its party room for consideration, but that Labor needed to "get serious" about the question of opening new coal or gas facilities.
"You can't fix the problem while you're making it worse, you can't put the fire out while you're pouring petrol on it.
"At the moment, Labor's climate laws will see pollution from gas actually go up, that's not a climate package.
"Labor has got to get serious about this question of opening new coal and gas mines."
The Coalition last week decided it would oppose strengthening the safeguard mechanism, despite calls from business and environment groups.
The government would need the support of at least two other crossbench senators to pass its legislation, though newly independent senator Lidia Thorpe has committed to continue to vote with the Greens on climate legislation.
It hopes for the laws to be in effect by July.