---
title: Net-zero fever hits Australia, but watch for signs of greenwash
description: As Australia inches forward towards a net-zero emissions target, the news is awash with statements from everyone from the Business Council of Australia through to News Corp lining up behind net-zero by 2050.
---
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The Canopy is a weekday morning email newsletter provided by the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
# Net-zero fever hits Australia, but watch for signs of greenwash
Monday, 11 October 2021
As Australia inches forward towards a net-zero emissions target, the news is awash with statements from everyone from the Business Council of Australia through to News Corp lining up behind net-zero by 2050.
But, as Richie Merzian from The Australia Institute reminds us, net zero by 2050 is a meaningless target if fossil fuels are enabled to flourish - which is exactly what the Nationals, holders of just five percent of the Australian vote, are pushing for in order to get a target over the line.
With traditional climate blockers appearing to turn over a new leaf, watch closely for signs of greenwash. It seems to be going around at the moment.
[Richie Merzian: Net zero by 2050 is a fraud if fossil fuels flourish](https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/10/11/net-zero-by-2050-is-a-fraud/)A poorly executed long-term emissions reduction target is meaningless at best and a greenwashing ploy to prolong the fossil fuel industry at worst, writes Richie Merzian
[COP26 in Glasgow is coming. But 'The Paris Agreement for Nature' — the other COP — hopes to halt the biodiversity crisis](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-11/cop15-china-aims-at-reversing-biodiversity-loss/100524696)Today, representatives from nearly 200 countries are meeting in Kunming, China, to finalise what has been described by some as "the Paris Agreement for Nature".
[Libs, don’t let the Nats rob taxpayers with a $250 billion coal bailout](https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/libs-don-t-let-the-nats-rob-taxpayers-with-a-250-billion-coal-bailout-20211010-p58yow.html)Under no circumstances should any net zero emissions deal include a $250 billion bailout of the owners of stranded coal assets.
[‘Square the ledger’: farmers push Nationals for dedicated income stream in emissions reduction policy](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/oct/11/square-the-ledger-farmers-push-nationals-for-dedicated-income-stream-in-emissions-reduction-policy)The National Farmers’ Federation is demanding Nationals MPs drive a hard bargain for agriculture in any deal ahead of Cop26 climate talks
[Metal refiner Korea Zinc pursues goal of carbon neutrality](http://link.newsletter.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=76fKcEeh4PVItpSA9Cs-2FOEMGnd77r-2F-2FG-2BxtUbsljffpy5QYhZSdg-2Bu1kme3NZOjpgUn8VC2l06kHYWQ8Z8oSBCdJH8UsIFmjxbMVnM4QDc3BxdLPRZsyAdSjTNLxw955cf3ph7zJ6prNAxMhWUsXZYlOS3YsRjLBniCMZqLjFeiiF87h0U5wIMDMs6RX-2FrMfKcBPRLjUNM0jvds-2FsX2eUJsLvhyCOWaGE9jBM-2By4dyI653fyMeQ5-2F2jpMmpDsbEby9zS-2FrpJ3henVtugdzuRlSPxdgzL-2BDatt2TFS-2FUCVjS-2BhnARSt5ckr5qz2EHLEJNTfOWR-2FSOdoQ4rKd5hYzu800kj4DfI1QVpOZz9bqYlWtwy-2FDqo-2FnzVah2BG6p6yFhF5ghZWEVPJnia5m6cd-2BecW9w4pfs4ciTy3jikayKEJottizwqgohFIxMz2-2FTKSR5fmofx1MvV6N6wtNsW4GKpsXmmsDw4JPcK80alMltiCRvDaWRqC7nM-2F8RlAETJAtaXnwI4HRm0Y7wT8rN0KvAj7aMVWbUkyH891Mx-2B4fIzdX7RqKdoHyGmApqKdWML0-2BtA-2BbmhVikENOjh3IIssoQnNP6hiD42v7sCcR0jTxS0HZE1mzg80xlGUfO-2BcbSmgQg7npRSBOGU7wBXx3jtUgdGCV8hdG71A0iqrWa-2BlnZQXuXnwxGN7AdQkr7VXyWBc8gbh2wlLK2Pln5YxjYgplQ5Q-3D-3Dx1mm_phcJM9ByNNX6Qh3ejjqXmun6IAaDhqC7v9tBWdyDVwHBJNIpiovf9GVZzDamNCgxfLw27GXvnBPsL7GgH8wMQBaC5VWWuoJNxRsyvNsUXWVvJ4IsLHptxTEm0dAAG3TMz9uGy73WYIZXwtucD-2B8YdAp8wao9esPSWQojIV5Mest-2FDsc4IS5-2BDidQo-2BceO8m50iI2MiSp33HhwJqDBsI2MEgWJqTvuMBYIGcwDom3XT7EN2hkb-2Bu47aLjUEdeAyO6QICduT9n7MxUbzaCAjEnupcPdQoSmxh9NNVBffmS1eHHjbtHBZo0ez2yioS6WehijGZzEkjuJR8ULoa-2FFY3pKKwEqmLQ9iQfzO8e-2B9JuIRMDB1-2BSL3TBAm0Nbh9J42I9Plp8KCOoCuxAQGJbKtvTuA-3D-3D)The Sun Metals zinc refinery in Townsville is striving to be the first in the world to produce “green zinc”.
[News Corp Australia reveal plans to achieve net zero goals by 2050](http://link.newsletter.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=76fKcEeh4PVItpSA9Cs-2FOEMGnd77r-2F-2FG-2BxtUbsljffpy5QYhZSdg-2Bu1kme3NZOjpgUn8VC2l06kHYWQ8Z8oSBM9WY6z0ZfGPHMMFnYKBAcLCZ-2FgOmyJFD2-2FrgYEWUHikacRKYXeUoLH1kLMt-2FAhp4TMAqudvp8AizRlNjbNRwXT7iX5MlUdrON-2F-2Fos2gFyJQcOpNSuLC7Kkw4xISoNnTiytBlo3QYZnvyJ0hlfI709FA-2B-2BcIDQtApQKDNuCoSeKpcd9gG6Dd2vzgM-2BEr4Na3WWEdRuAB6W4kKUYFztRB-2FkqISKMY8u6xHRnTkwZ0p47b0B1W2qJCv0ZWPbCa2b7HIVJJHVeMBaUzKYZOcLe2ixhJIy1KNJrshn8j6JN4lQQa2lj9rtQc4FM4g5nOND-2Fa4MdMR1bFOS2aGK8P7n9zeEXrFEWdVrnedeqMYFOtT5xaS43v4vW54X-2Fk1r77T18Ckx475ru-2BZJizsW-2Bzwx4zzgQFHH2UTEBlNgdm-2B-2B44e-2BqH9V-2BgGp6MhdOH1i83u5b76zzb92GjLLM-2FCTveC6nnD40tv-2F2fpJZqpcmFJveklr6hYdDG4kwSfWcmVnLBTR0tgKT5Rcr4xogosP8XKOs64ATjZmvo3R9VNA0-2B-2F0pJyPhK-2FggjiJ9H-2FzfJMByLVt0tFERKb9FZL-2BeleVDqzO9ZE45M3YdZByoS6F8XDfqVQ3Ex-2BJUsyVjcTQEx5UL1pSd5XaL3Kz8VUf8mSeX712qO9cs-3DoQOZ_phcJM9ByNNX6Qh3ejjqXmun6IAaDhqC7v9tBWdyDVwHBJNIpiovf9GVZzDamNCgxfLw27GXvnBPsL7GgH8wMQBaC5VWWuoJNxRsyvNsUXWVvJ4IsLHptxTEm0dAAG3TMz9uGy73WYIZXwtucD-2B8YdAp8wao9esPSWQojIV5Mest-2FDsc4IS5-2BDidQo-2BceO8m50iI2MiSp33HhwJqDBsI2MCzSQL7KuBKdZzSLvu0cYduU4sejpopAM6KQJA24xZbc9OpWL9YmSdyIMmfAQehvq0idzo9FA2U-2Fuw4SjDoULW0BtQocijxE9WZQLevaw3jDXdsYY0F9sDBhCjn03D-2FrhUMfH0yO6kDu65eiEO2lxYlP3-2By11n1WS0phiw6FBsVTWiePlv9uXsmmfhFN9VlvKw-3D-3D)NewsCorp has unveiled plans for its operations to get to net-zero emissions by 2050
[Australia’s $2.1 trillion future with 672,000 jobs and net zero emissions](http://link.newsletter.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=76fKcEeh4PVItpSA9Cs-2FOEMGnd77r-2F-2FG-2BxtUbsljffpy5QYhZSdg-2Bu1kme3NZOjpgUn8VC2l06kHYWQ8Z8oSBFglMiPNC0a2Onlh44k-2B4Pjq8rZe934HDa34M5nJHOLw4eFdCMq9Z-2Bib12CUzxjlTKPzzl-2BiGAUatZISu2y8yfmKVa1txX-2FhhqzVbHM2rN88rbbJnD0bFjn1DK2kgU2oPLoxSPHXRTfWdgs-2FJ4YI3-2FybYpFj4sPb3Fz9JxT4qYXEBsVVtjsiXnargnxT7D5FeX4rfCShNr9GS43tvRmjWojIdWBV6uxypeZT5oF-2F-2FefdG-2FFvGKcjf8ntWTNvtxXuG5Ryz4Hk-2FKx-2Fp7YqCbJBAkk7ZvC-2FYKwRlws4bHuVXnycYVUsy4foTQLKdnKDTTE-2FeGroeJIlVmIJzNS1Qa71LrX-2BfnxrQtvvXrjQzhbrOSlqD2-2B5f7M6jVN3JG9gSF9nE0uMl-2BFKX2WybEOABuWkJdFnVqVb2L1fdWnI-2FxhugTwlE1vCPeVmVG9t304OHWlX3txTRV2rWi-2FP9Ky1NpXGLgn416RnUlNhSCyriK1wCaXi4TM8MVs0faZnfNquk0li6VY1xjz-2FHkWzXbs5pS2PTcC051mIvYbAX1dpk7lA8S-2BzFcS1stdkRH5HqDYxUP-2BgvcM9Ew12p9uVT-2FeYMotvFD9qtEcae-2BhEVSxPEFS5lyIEdY6OGT7PMPCrXqXPpEqFdfElZkZD1wPMng1uBR0xyyU-3DbOGy_phcJM9ByNNX6Qh3ejjqXmun6IAaDhqC7v9tBWdyDVwHBJNIpiovf9GVZzDamNCgxfLw27GXvnBPsL7GgH8wMQBaC5VWWuoJNxRsyvNsUXWVvJ4IsLHptxTEm0dAAG3TMz9uGy73WYIZXwtucD-2B8YdAp8wao9esPSWQojIV5Mest-2FDsc4IS5-2BDidQo-2BceO8m50iI2MiSp33HhwJqDBsI2MOuxQdJPUj2YioVKwufnThqVJbxO6flrqibkV7dhszcZwx-2BQ-2FSfYSeS-2F3uMtqS02MP8x-2BdpIVwL4gj38ciZDsudVQG5yMA2r4NpKa1W593op6801CqC70TH9PUdLkI-2FSnc4hrhfDeQ1UPZzM54A2L52RuHkDvDEgVtLj8KSdj19XSbRoGdrKLNyCoQrOZvi68Q-3D-3D)Billionaires, blue collar workers and green groups have all joined forces for Mission Zero — a new plan to get Australians more jobs with a smarter, cleaner nation.
[energy policy](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/energy-policy)
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