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

FILE PHOTO: An oil refinery is pictured in the southern Sydney suburb of Kurnell, July 16, 2014. REUTERS/Jason Reed

MELBOURNE (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.

Morrison, who must call a general election by May 2022, has faced growing domestic and international pressure to reach an agreement before the U.N. COP26 climate summit next weekend, where he is to update world's leaders with Australia's goals.