The centre-right Liberal Party have agonised in recent weeks over whether to drop the climate pledge, introduced by the party's former leader Scott Morrison when he was prime minister in 2021.

On Thursday current opposition leader Sussan Ley said her party remained committed to "responding to climate change in a way that is affordable, responsible and achievable".

"We are not pursuing net zero, we are pursuing energy affordability and emissions reduction," she said.

"Net zero would be welcome" but the target would be achieved without government intervention, Ley added.

The Liberal Party's decision comes just days after their conservative coalition partners, the National Party, voted to ditch their net zero by 2050 target.

The coalition will meet Sunday to come to an agreement on the coalition's formal stance.

Australia's "climate wars" -- a years-long domestic fight over emissions policy -- stalled progress and the country remains dependent on its fossil fuel economy for growth.

Canberra's centre-left government has poured billions into solar power, wind turbines and green manufacturing and pledged to make the nation a renewable energy superpower.

It has also pledged to slash planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70 percent from 2005 levels over the next decade.