Australian PM refuses to commit to fossil fuels reduction

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government is still working on its emissions plans, refusing to commit to decreasing fossil fuels which are a major part of Australia's export revenue.

Morrison said in a number of interviews with Australian media after a summit in Washington that he was not prepared to pull back fossil fuels immediately.

"We don't have to, because that change will take place over time," he told broadcaster SBS. "We are working on the transition technologies and fuels and the ultimate technologies that will be there over the next 20, 30 years that can get us to net zero... This doesn't happen overnight."

His deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, who is a climate change sceptic said that proceeds from mining and agriculture industries are vital for people in regional towns.

"You've got to remember, fossil fuels are your nation's largest export and if you take away your nation's largest export, you've got to accept a lower standard of living," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The International Monetary Fund called on Australia, Friday, to set a "time bound" target to reach net zero emissions.

Australia is the world's top coal and a major gas exporter. The country is under scrutiny to come up with emissions reduction targets ahead of COP26 United Nations climate conference taking place in November at Scotland this year.