Fed Renewable Energy Target (RET) (2001)

Policy Engagement Overview

• The evidence collected on corporate and industry lobbying on Australia’s RET from 2012-20 indicates that the majority of corporate engagement on the policy has been unsupportive or oppositional.
• InfluenceMap found 50 cases of entities opposing the RET and/or calling for its removal before 2020 including AGL Energy, Minerals Council of Australia, and Origin Energy.
• There were a further 47 cases of entities not supporting the continuation of the RET until 2030 or supporting a weaker target, including Ai Group and Business Council of Australia. Clean Energy Council appears to have consistently supported an ambitious RET from 2016-20.

Impacts on Policy Ambition

In June 2015, the Australian Parliament passed an amendment bill which legislated a target to source 33,000 GWh of electricity from renewable sources by 2020, reduced from the previous target of 41,000 GWh. Although this target was met in September 2019, the LRET and SRES are both scheduled to run until 2030. There is currently no federal legislation planned to replace the RET.