Australian Conservation Foundation Rates The Liberal/National Coalition In Runup To Election at 1/100 Points Possible

One of Australia’s largest conservation organisations has awarded the federal Coalition just one out of 100 for its environment and climate change policies – the lowest score it has given the Liberal and National parties in more than 20 years of compiling pre-election scorecards. Labor scraped through with a pass – on 54% – while the Greens achieved 98%, according to the scorecard, which ranked the major parties and key independents on their policies for protecting nature, championing renewable energy, and rejecting nuclear and fossil fuels.

The Australian Conservation Foundation’s chief executive, Kelly O’Shanassy, said the Coalition’s “woeful” score reflected its support for “expensive and risky” energy sources such as nuclear and polluting gas. “They’ve failed every single test,” she said, adding that the Liberal and National parties wanted to cut environmental protection at the behest of the fossil fuel industry.

O’Shanassy said Australians “really cared about nature and a safe climate”, issues that had barely been mentioned during the election campaign, despite major differences between Labor and the Coalition. Labor was “halfway there”, she said, thanks to support for renewable energy – including an 82% target and a home battery subsidy – and its rejection of nuclear power. But the party had lost points for weakening nature protection laws and for continuing to approve new coal and gas mines.

Labor was sharply criticised by ACF and other conservation organisations in the last term of parliament after Anthony Albanese intervened to shelve legislation to create a national Environment Protection Agency after a backlash from Western Australia. Labor and the Coalition then voted together to protect salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour from a legal challenge.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/15/coalition-scores-just-1100-points-for-environment-and-climate-policies-from-conservation-organisation