Liberal leader Sussan Ley has defended the Liberal plan to dump legislated pledges for net zero and renewable energy while claiming to be committed to the Paris agreement, saying “I can deal with that” if she faces criticism for backsliding on climate targets.

The Liberal party will abandon a firm net zero emissions target, siding with the Nationals to end the Coalition’s commitment to the climate goal, in a bid to pursue what Ley and energy spokesperson Dan Tehan called “energy abundance” by supporting nuclear power, and backing coal and gas.

But in an at-times confusing press conference, Ley said it would still be a “welcome outcome” if they managed to reach net zero emissions anyway, despite planning to junk Labor government legislation and renewable targets which support such an

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