---
title: "The gaffe that didn’t make the headlines: Morrison admits no urgency for reducing emissions"
description: PM Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese faced off in the third and final leaders’ debate last night, with Morrison’s lack of climate action laid bare when pressed on the issue, he claimed his government is “reducing emissions over a long period of time”.
---
[](https://www.greenpeace.org.au)
[](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy)
The Canopy is a weekday morning email newsletter provided by the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
# The gaffe that didn’t make the headlines: Morrison admits no urgency for reducing emissions
Thursday, 12 May 2022
PM Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese faced off in the third and final leaders’ debate last night, with Morrison’s lack of climate action laid bare when pressed on the issue, he claimed his government is “reducing emissions **over a long period of time**”.
Plans by the federal government to develop a “clean” hydrogen industry in Australia have been branded greenwashing by critics who say taxpayer money is being used to subsidise fossil fuel activities.
And AGL is limping towards a dodgy demerger to hide its environmental and financial failure, but more holes are appearing by the day with UBS energy analysts finding the $260 million-plus worth of costs involved with the demerger may not be offset by alleged savings.
[Morrison and Albanese face off over climate and border protection](https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-and-albanese-face-off-over-climate-and-border-protection-20220511-p5akgx.html)
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese have faced off over border protection, climate change, integrity and key questions of character in last night’s debate.
[A clean future or merely greenwashing? Critics claim Coalition's hydrogen plans are a 'fig leaf' for fossil fuels](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-12/federal-government-green-hydrogen-plans-labelled-greenwashing/101052282)
About half a billion dollars has been set aside by the federal government for hydrogen hubs around the country, but critics are accusing the government of greenwashing, saying much of the money will be used to make hydrogen from natural gas.
[AGL demerger cost equation may not add up](https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/agl-demerger-cost-equation-may-not-add-up-20220511-p5akgy)
The $260 million-plus of costs involved with AGL Energy’s proposed demerger may not be offset by savings that would result from the restructuring, say UBS energy analysts.
[Alan Kohler: The end of coal is nigh. The next government must tell the truth](https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2022/05/12/coal-end-alan-kohler/)
The full tragedy of the Coalition’s climate change campaigns is becoming clear - we don’t have too much renewable generation, but not enough, and still way too much coal.
[Coal](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/coal), [energy policy](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/energy-policy), [Federal Election](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/federal-election)
### Will you share with your friends?
[Share on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/the-gaffe-that-didnt-make-the-headlines-morrison-admits-no-urgency-with-reducing-emissions%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [Share on Whatsapp](whatsapp://send?text=Check%20out%20this%20thing%20from%20Greenpeace!%20https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/the-gaffe-that-didnt-make-the-headlines-morrison-admits-no-urgency-with-reducing-emissions%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dwhatsapp) [Share on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/the-gaffe-that-didnt-make-the-headlines-morrison-admits-no-urgency-with-reducing-emissions%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/the-gaffe-that-didnt-make-the-headlines-morrison-admits-no-urgency-with-reducing-emissions%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=)
[Go to the website](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/)
## More news
### [3C of devastation as research shows extent of Coalition’s catastrophic climate commitments](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/3c-of-devastation-as-research-shows-extent-of-coalitions-catastrophic-climate-commitments)
The Morrison government’s climate change commitments are consistent with more than 3C of global...
### [Australian voters say Morrison's failed us on climate](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/australian-voters-say-morrisons-failed-us-on-climate)
After another wildly underwhelming Budget, with crumbs tossed at climate change even as Lismore...
### [Cracks appear as the Nationals hold out on net zero](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/cracks-appear-as-the-nationals-hold-out-on-net-zero)
The debate about a net-zero emissions target drones on, with suggestions that PM Morrison’s...
Work like this is only made possible by our supporters. Greenpeace accepts NO government funding or corporate donations to remain impartial. To amplify meaningful climate activism in Australia, ***become a regular giver today.***
[Donate to Support Greenpeace](https://donate.greenpeace.org.au/)
[](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/)
Connect with us
**Call:** [1800 815 151](tel:1800815151)
Our team acknowledges that we meet and work on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We wish to pay respect to their Elders — past, present and future — and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia, the environmental movement and the Greenpeace crew.
© Greenpeace 2026. [Privacy Policy.](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/privacy-policy/)