Chris Bowen is a man on the brink. He is under extreme pressure to meet improbable targets for renewable expansion and emission reductions. A man under this kind of pressure must react, so what can he do? In conjunction with the Greens, the government has already legislated deeper emissions reduction targets across the economy – 43 per cent below 2005 by 2030 – making Australia one of only five countries to deepen its emissions reduction pledge since 2022.

Add to that a supersized safeguard mechanism imposing a carbon tax on our biggest industries; a raft of subsidies trotted out to electric vehicles and hydrogen; the CEFC receiving...