Weld Australia has warned that Australia risks locking in higher energy bills, weaker sovereign capability, and long-term industrial decline following the Liberal Party's decision to abandon its commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.
According to Weld Australia CEO Geoff Crittenden, the national conversation has become dangerously confused, and highly vulnerable to misinformation pushed by the fossil fuel lobby.
"Net zero does not mean emitting nothing. It means emitting as little as technologically possible and then removing whatever emissions remain," said Crittenden. "Right now, Australia emits around 450 million tonnes of greenhouse gases every year. To reach net zero, we must slash those emissions to the lowest feasible level, and then sequester whatever is left. It's basic maths, and it's non-negotiable."
Crittenden said misinformation about gas as a so-called "transition fuel" continues to distort policy decisions.
Recent data from The Australia Institute shows:
- 83% of all natural gas extracted in Australia in 2023–2024 was used for LNG exports.
- Gas exporters use nine times more gas than Australia uses for electricity each year, 13 times more than manufacturing, and 30 times more than households.
- Over just five years, Australia has exported 22 years' worth of domestic gas demand, driving up domestic prices and undermining energy security.
"The idea that Australia faces a gas shortage is nonsense," said Crittenden. "Gas is expensive because we allow exporters to link domestic prices to the volatile international spot market. Australian manufacturers are forced to pay four to seven times more for gas than consumers in major gas-producing nations like the US, Russia and Qatar. That is an economic own-goal."
Crittenden emphasised that gas is not a viable transition fuel. "Gas-fired power today supplies just 17% of the national electricity market. This is less than half the contribution of rooftop solar," said Crittenden. "Only one new gas-fired power station has been commissioned in the past five years because the economics simply don't stack up."
Weld Australia is calling for a National Bipartisan Energy Strategy, including:
- Decoupling domestic gas prices from international spot markets
- Decoupling electricity prices from gas
- Rapidly accelerating renewables, storage and firming
- Tax reform to ensure Australians receive fair value for exported resources
- Clear, science-based national targets for emissions reduction
"If we continue pandering to fossil-fuel interests while the rest of the world accelerates towards decarbonisation, we will lose industries, jobs and international competitiveness," Crittenden said. "We need courage, leadership and clarity; not political point-scoring."
About us:
ABOUT WELD AUSTRALIA
Weld Australia represents the welding profession in Australia. Its members are made up of individual welding professionals and companies of all sizes. Weld Australia members are involved almost every facet of Australian industry and make a significant contribution to the nation's economy. The primary goal of Weld Australia is to ensure that the Australian welding industry remains locally and globally competitive, both now and into the future. Weld Australia is the Australian representative member of the International Institute of Welding (IIW).
