The federal energy minister has ruled out creating policy to help Australia reach its emissions reduction targets, insisting the electricity sector has the certainty it needs.
"You don't need policy if you're going to reach the target," Angus Taylor told ABC radio on Tuesday evening.
"The policy is to reach the target and we will reach the target. It is that simple."
However the latest government data showed greenhouse gas emissions have climbed 1.3 per cent to their highest quarterly levels in eight years.
While emissions in the electricity sector have decreased, other sectors continue to increase, driven by LNG production.
"We are going to reach our emission reduction targets for the national electricity market well ahead of 2030," Mr Taylor said.
"We're going to reach them, so why do we need to make an additional intervention?"
The energy minister says industry calls for policy certainty are unnecessary.
"We're going to reach our target, I can give them that absolute certainty," he said.
Nearly a quarter of the National Electricity Network, which powers the east coast, will be wind and solar in three years, he added.
Wind and solar currently make up nine per cent of the NEM.
Government subsidies for solar will continue to be phased out by 2030, the minister assures.
