The ALP is overhauling its climate change policies, and could scrap its 45 per cent emissions-reduction by 2030 target.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has announced an extensive overhaul of the policies and new focus on a target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Mr Albanese said new policies are needed as the 45 per cent reduction target was predicated on winning the 2019 election.

“That was a commitment that was given in 2015. So that was a commitment in about 15 years’ time,” he said.

“So, we’ll examine our short-, medium- and long-term commitments in terms of where we go on climate change, but we won’t be re-examining our principles.

“We need strong action on climate change. We want to work towards zero emissions by the middle of this century.”

He said Labor would put out a series “vision statements” over the next six months outlining a new policy agenda.

“There’s no debate over whether we need strong action. We support the science. The science tells us that we need to act,” Mr Albanese said.

In an interview with the ABC, Labor’s climate change spokesperson Mark Butler said the new target would be higher than Australia’s Paris Agreement targets to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 per cent.

“It’s clear 26 to 28 per cent is fundamentally inconsistent with the obligation to keep global warming way below 2 degrees [Celsius],” Mr Butler said.

“What I have said is all our policies are up for review, exactly what medium-term targets numerically are, whether it’s 2030 or 2035, given the passage of time, is something we’ll engage over in the next couple of years.

“People can be assured it would be a medium-term target utterly consistent with the best scientific advice about how we meet those commitments in the Paris Agreement and keep global warming well below 2 degrees [Celsius] and pursue efforts around 1.5 [degrees Celsius].

“That is our generation’s responsibility to our children and our grandchildren.”