On Thursday the centre-left Australian government he illustrated a new strategy to increase the production of natural gas in the country, one of the energy sources considered most problematic due to global warming. According to the government, the strategy is aimed at accommodating the growing demand for gas from its main trading partners in Asia – China, Japan and South Korea – to which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the country must prove itself as a supplier « reliable”: Australia is one of the world‘s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas, and supplied a fifth of it globally in 2023.
The strategy was developed by the government after years of criticism for the ineffectiveness of the short-term measures adopted during the energy crisis, which began with the war in Ukraine and which increased the price of gas worldwide: it was welcomed by energy producers, but criticized by supporters of renewable energy and environmentalists, according to whom such a plan is inconsistent with the objective of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, which the strategy claims to maintain.
Energy Resources Minister Madeleine King said that continued investment and exploration in the sector is still needed “to avoid a shortage in natural gas supplies”, and that it will still be necessary “until 2050 and beyond” as part of the energy transition. The strategy also outlines how the government will continue to support the expansion of existing gas extraction and production projects, the largest of which are operated by large energy multinationals Chevron and Woodside Energy Group.