The Turnbull Government’s amendments to allow the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to invest in Carbon Capture Storage technology are nothing but a hollow gesture to appease Government extreme right MPs. As such, Labor will oppose the bill.

In 2011 Labor announced the investment of $1.7 billion in the Carbon Capture and Storage Flagships program to bring this technology forward. Those funds were intended to support research and development in this emerging technology.

But in 2014, the Liberal Government abolished all the uncommitted funds in the CEFC flagships program - $460 million – removing any new support for research and development.

In its submission to the Finkel review, the CEFC noted CCS: “is unlikely to play a significant role in reducing Australia’s electricity sector emissions in time to meet our 2030 Paris Agreement commitments”.

The Government is unable to point to any CCS projects that would meet the strict commercial investment mandate of the CEFC – which can only invest in projects that pay a commercial return.

If the Turnbull Government was serious about seeing CCS technology deployed commercially, they would first reinstate the research and development funds they previously cut.

The Government is more interested in symbolism than finding real solutions to our energy crisis.