Energy Minister Angus Taylor says it more important to get new energy technologies to work than committing to a net zero emissions target by 2050.
The federal government released its technology roadmap last week aimed at cutting 250 million tonnes of emissions annually by 2040, by investing in five areas including hydrogen, carbon capture and soil carbon.
Those 250 million tonnes include the impact of exports, but the government has been vague how that is broken down.
"We'll release more details on those breakdowns over time," Mr Taylor told Sky New's Sunday Agenda program.
But he said the "vast majority" will come from Australian emission reduction.
It was put to Mr Taylor, that if that is the case, why won't the government commit to a 2050 target.
"There is a lot of talk about this but the focus is on getting the technologies to work," the minister replied.
"If we succeed in that and we aim to ... we are throwing the book at these technologies and others, then we will see dramatic emissions reductions.
"They won't just be by 2040, they will be 2050, but we have got to make the technologies work."
Greens Leader Adam Bandt criticised the roadmap for not subsidising solar and wind renewables any more.
He said Australia could get to zero emissions over the course of 10 years by investing $25 billion a year in renewables while getting the country into full employment.
"We could do it by winding back on some of the subsidies that the likes of Gina Rhinehart and Clive Palmer get to put cheap diesel into their trucks," Mr Bandt told ABC television's Insiders program.
"We could get to zero emissions within Australia and become a renewable energy super power which is exporting our sunlight instead of exporting our gas and coal."
Australian Associated Press
