The Australian
Source: AAP
Former Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull admits the Coalition has only a "theoretical'" chance of meeting its emission reduction targets by 2020.
But that's still better than the Government, who had nothing but a "great, big, yawning chasm in its climate change policy suite".
Mr Turnbull, who was dumped as leader last year so the party could withdraw its support for emissions trading, said the Coalition now had the better climate change credentials.
Under Tony Abbott, the Coalition has maintained its objective of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent on 2000 levels by 2020.
It aims to do it through a direct-action policy where companies will be paid financial incentives for reducing their carbon footprint.
Mr Turnbull labelled the policy a "recipe for fiscal recklessness" in February, and maintains a carbon tax is the only economically responsible way of reducing greenhouse gases.
But comparing the two parties, especially in the wake of the Government's deferral of emissions trading until at least 2013, he said the Coalition had the upper hand.
"That policy potentially could meet the five per cent cut from 2000 levels by 2020," he told ABC Radio's Sunday profile program.
"It will obviously be expensive, it depends on there being enough carbon offsets being available and prices that have been assumed, but there is a theoretical potential for doing that.
"The Government doesn't even have a policy that could theoretically or hypothetically meet its very modest targets (also of five per cent)."
He said the Government's decision to delay was one of the most "cowardly abandonments of policy" he could remember.
Mr Turnbull decided earlier this month to stay in politics, having announced his intention to quit in April.
He's been promised a reward of sorts.
Should the Liberals win the election, Mr Abbott has promised Mr Turnbull a spot in cabinet.
"He'll invite me back into the cabinet and I'd welcome that," Mr Turnbull said.