The Biden administration has encouraged Scott Morrison and other allies to pledge to take stronger action on the climate crisis to step up pressure on China to do its part, according to Arthur Sinodinos, ambassador for the climate. ‘Australia in the United States.

As Morrison continues his efforts to craft a new climate policy ahead of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow, Sinodinos said on Tuesday that Australia had the potential to be “an alternative energy superpower” and he said investors were looking for the certainty.

Weeks before the United Nations-led climate conference, Morrison met with Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce and ministers Bridget McKenzie, David Littleproud and Keith Pitt on Monday afternoon, as well as members of his group of leadership, to present policy options. the government is considering.

Ministers were briefed for the first time on a roadmap developed by Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor with input from across government. The roadmap includes assessments of when particular technologies would come into effect to enable a transition to net zero emissions by mid-century.

The government’s climate plan will be tabled in cabinet on Wednesday. On Monday afternoon, colleagues asked Taylor to provide more details on the economic analysis underpinning the proposed new roadmap ahead of the next cabinet meeting.

Nationals are particularly focused on the impact of the transition on jobs in the regions, and Monday’s presentation was seen as lacking in detail.

The national party will hold a meeting next Sunday before federal parliament resumes next week to determine whether or not a majority of MPs support Morrison’s goal of committing to net zero.

While the Liberals hope Morrison will come out with a deal with the nationals by early next week, the nationals remain uncertain whether a majority of MPs in the village hall actually support the prime minister’s climate policy linchpin.

Joining a webinar hosted by the nonprofit Coalition for Conservation on Tuesday morning, Sinodinos – a former government minister and now Australian Ambassador to the United States – said it would be “interesting to see” how the discussions Current policies in Canberra have played out.

Sinodinos said the Biden administration had raised the United States’ emission reduction target for 2030 “because they argue that in order to meet the target of keeping the temperature rise to 1.5 ° C, we have to have intermediate targets like this on the way to a net zero target by 2050 ”.

He said the United States had “worked with us and other countries on how we are more ambitious in the fight against climate change.”

“Now let me say with regard to China, the US strategy in terms of climate diplomacy has been to tell western countries, allies and partners, let’s all basically match the ambition on change. climate change as a way to put more pressure on China. advance its net zero commitment from 2060 and [its promise for] when the shows peak, ”Sinodinos said.

He said the important thing, from Australia’s perspective, would be to work with countries in the Indo-Pacific region to disseminate “the benefits of new technologies, in a more accessible and affordable way for countries to low and middle income ”.

As Australia comes under pressure from key allies and metropolitan liberals brace for the challenges of climate-focused independents in downtown seats in a federal election in the coming months, Morrison signals his support for a net zero target for many months.

There has also been lingering speculation that the government may also increase Australia’s current emissions reduction target for 2030 from 26% to 28% reduction from 2005 levels during ongoing deliberations. . But with some Queensland nationals implacably opposed to net zero, it’s not clear whether Morrison can increase ambition in the medium term.

Thanks to a recent commitment from the NSW government and with other states helping with the heavy lifting of emissions reductions, Morrison would now be able to unveil a 34% reduction in national greenhouse gas emissions. greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 based on existing commitments, rather than sticking to the current national 2030 target of a 26-28% reduction.

The metropolitan seat liberals urged Morrison to be ambitious. Wentworth MP Dave Sharma – one of many moderate Liberal MPs to address Tuesday’s webinar – said Australia must come up with “credible” goals at the Glasgow summit.

NSW Senator Andrew Bragg said he “looks forward to Australia doing its fair share” at Cop26. “I think we need to show we’re on the right track – I think we need to have a revised 2030 target that gets us to about that kind of halfway there,” Bragg said.

North Sydney MP Trent Zimmerman said the fact that the United States was playing a more proactive role on climate under the leadership of Joe Biden was a “game changer.”

Morrison has been on the fence for a few weeks over whether or not to attend the Glasgow conference. Colleagues now think the prime minister is more likely to go than not, but that depends on accepting politics with the Nationals.