Australian coalition gov't junior partner gives preliminary support for net zero

MELBOURNE, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The junior partner in Australia's coalition government said on Sunday it will provisionally support a net zero emissions target by 2050, giving Prime Minister Scott Morrison a green light to take the country's updated climate ambitions to Glasgow talks.

"We are in support of a process going forward that would go towards a 2050 emissions target," Barnaby Joyce, leader of the National party, said after weeks of warnings that the party may reject net zero over concerns about the impact on farming and coal mining.

Morrison said previously that Australia wanted to achieve net zero "as soon as possible and preferably by 2050" and it expects to beat its pledge to cut carbon emissions by 26% to 28% from 2005 levels by 2030.

Joyce would not reveal the details of the agreements with Morrison, but said the National party was calling on the prime minister for assurances that rural and regional communities won't be adversely affected by implementing more ambitions climate change policies.

The junior partner in Australia's coalition government said on Sunday it will provisionally support a net zero emissions target by 2050, giving Prime Minister Scott Morrison a green light to take the country's updated climate ambitions to Glasgow talks.

Petrochemicals giant Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) announced plans on Saturday to meet carbon neutrality by 2050, the company said in a statement on the sidelines of the Saudi Green Initiative summit.