The Greens would pressure a future Shorten government to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector by 90 per cent, posing a likely complication for Labor should it win office at the next election without an absolute majority.

The Greens’ stance, announced on Tuesday, underscores the importance of negotiations over the final design of the Turnbull government’s national energy guarantee. Labor states want a future federal government to control the setting of emission reductions imposed on the electricity sector, rather than being beholden to forces in Parliament seeking bolder or weaker climate action ambition.

The Greens would seek to force Labor to adopt a 90 per cent emissions reduction target on he electricity sector. Credit:Fairfax Media

Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg on Monday said federal Labor wanted free rein to change the targets because it “doesn’t want to have to deal with the Greens to change the legislation” if it wins office.

Greens climate change and energy spokesman Adam Bandt told Fairfax Media his party would seek a number of amendments if the energy policy came before Parliament in its current form. This would include cutting electricity sector emissions by 90 per cent by 2030, based on a 2005 baseline.