Australia, New Zealand agree to deepen clean energy collaboration

Canberra, Aug 16: The leaders of Australia and New Zealand on Friday announced joint economic and energy commitments to support the clean energy transition in the region.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon at the Parliament House in Canberra for the annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.

Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, the pair announced that New Zealand would join Australia in the Climate Club, an initiative established in 2022 focused on industrial decarbonization and pursuing net zero emissions.

Albanese and Luxon said they endorsed a July agreement between the two nations’ Treasurers and Climate Ministers to further deepen collaboration to deliver climate outcomes under the Paris Agreement and capitalize on the opportunities of the global clean energy transition.

“I’m pleased that New Zealand has joined Australia in the Climate Club, which will support decarbonization across the Tasman,” Albanese said.

Ahead of the meeting, Luxon said he intended to directly raise with Albanese concerns about Australia’s practice of deporting New Zealand citizens who commit violent crimes in Australia, which has long been a point of tension between the countries.

The Australian government in June scrapped a ministerial direction that was intended to reduce the number of New Zealand citizens being deported despite having stronger connections to Australia.

Following the meeting on Friday, Albanese said that the leaders had agreed to disagree on the issue.

“What we have is an understanding that while we have common purpose, we do not have uniform positions,” he said.

He said that authorities would not ignore a person’s connections to Australia when considering deportations but that community safety was the top priority for Australian officials.