FARMING groups have reacted to the Federal Government’s new target to reduce emissions by 62-70pc by 2035 on 2005 levels, with some raising concerns and others calling for more.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the new target yesterday as part of the overall goal of becoming “net zero” by 2050. He announced $8.27b in funding to help finance projects, with a major focus on renewable energy.

The announcement was made with the release of “sectoral plans” to get to net zero, which agricultural groups say they were not briefed about and are currently reviewing.

The approach to climate change policy is increasingly becoming a point of division in the two major parties, with both the Liberals and the Nationals critical of yesterday’s announcement.

Nationals’ leader David Littleproud said the target was an “expensive charade”.

“Labor’s failing renewables-only policy is impacting regional communities right now – damaging agricultural land and food production, steamrolling the rights of communities and increasing energy costs for families and businesses.

“Labor is destroying the very thing it’s meant to protect – the environment – with its all-renewables obsession at any cost. We are seeing the native environment being ripped up with transmission lines, industrial solar panels and wind turbines.

“No country of the industrial size and scale of Australia has an all-renewables approach. For Labor to achieve any kind of target, it has already given out more than $60 billion worth of subsidies, but our energy bills continue to increase.”

NFF welcomes announcement, with warnings

National Farmers’ Federation interim chief executive officer Su McClusky said the organisation welcomed the announcement.

“It’s encouraging to see our nation collectively striving for solutions with this 62-70pc range target,” Ms McCluskey said.

“While the NFF supports an economy wide aspiration of net zero by 2050, it cannot be net zero for agriculture.

“If we don’t get climate policy right, farming will only get harder. Quite simply, we cannot comprise our food and fibre security.”

The sector plan recognises Australian producers are “global leaders in low-emissions food and fibre production”, supports a balance between agriculture, carbon storage and nature repair, and states decarbonisation must benefit farmers and regional communities. The NFF supports these principles.

100pc of people need to eat, Adam Coffey

Cattle Australia deputy chair Adam Coffey said the organisation is currently reviewing the sectoral plan and will have more comment in the coming weeks.

He took to social media yesterday to highlight a section in the Paris Agreement (which is the basis for the Government setting the target) that points out how food security cannot be compromised.

“Don’t reforest agricultural land in the name of emissions reduction, it won’t end well,” he said in a post on X. “All these % targets that get thrown around… don’t forget that 100% need to eat.”

This little bit of wording in the Paris Agreement often gets forgotten about by those who signed up to it.

Don’t reforest agricultural land in the name of emissions reduction, it won’t end well.

All these % targets that get thrown around… don’t forget that 100% need to eat pic.twitter.com/CerbgOLVyc

— Adam Coffey (@AdamCoffeyNT) September 18, 2025

Speaking to Beef Central, Mr Coffey said there were two main points that stuck out with the targets.

The Australian beef industry has already reduced emissions by 78pc on 2005 levels. And, that stable methane emissions are not contributing to additional warming.

Can’t be a repeat of Kyoto, NSW Farmers

NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin said agricultural industries had traditionally had to bear the brunt of climate policies.

“Before government does anything else on emissions, they need to pay their debts and recognise agriculture’s unique capacity to sequester carbon, not steal it,” Mr Martin said.

“Farmers are apprehensive about what this target could mean for them now, after they have already made, and continue to make, huge contributions to carbon sequestration, with the crops they plant and landscapes they look after sequestering millions of tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere.

“Alongside that, Australian farmers are driving a huge number of carbon sequestration activities and projects on-farm to hold carbon in soils or trees, both under management programs and informally. The fact is, we’re well and truly paying for everyone’s carbon sins.”

Climate aligned groups call for higher target

Climate change aligned groups speaking for agriculture have called for the Government to set more ambitious targets.

Farmers for Climate Action CEO Natalie Collard said the Government should be aiming for 75pc.

“If we are to protect our farmers and our food supply from worsening fires, floods, and droughts, we need to reduce pollution every year,” Ms Collard said.

“Australia has already managed to reduce carbon pollution by around 28 per cent on 2005 levels, largely through farmers clearing less land. If we reduce carbon pollution by just 5 per cent a year for the next ten years, we will achieve a 75 per cent emissions reduction by 2035.”

Another organisation called AgZero has also put out statements about the target. Corrigin farmer and chair Simon Wallwork said:

“The targets are on the lower end of what is required to mitigate climate change,” Mr Wallwork said.

“As farmers, we are on the front line of climate change and we understand the risks of a drying and warming south west land division. So far, we have adapted well but this will become increasingly difficult as climate impacts worsen.”