Prime Minister Scott Morrison's surprise victory in Australia's election was a win for the coal industry and ensures the debate about tackling climate change will continue to polarize the nation.
Rather than backing the opposition Labor Party's plans for sweeping cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, voters fell in behind a conservative government that has refused to legislate its Paris Agreement commitments. Morrison once brandished a lump of coal in parliament as a mark of his support for the industry, and in focusing his energy policy on lowering electricity prices has derided the reliability of wind and solar.
"The battle to combat climate change in Australia has suffered a major setback," said Frank Jotzo, an academic in climate economics and policy at the Australian National University. "Australia could hugely benefit from the worldwide shift from fossil fuels to renewables. My colleagues around the world are shaking their heads in disbelief about the political system's inability to translate those advantages into reality."
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