The Coalition is on the brink of abandoning net zero emissions as senior Liberal rightwingers pressure Sussan Ley to side with the Nationals in ditching the climate target.

That decision could trigger a revolt from moderate Liberals, who believe the possibility of blowing up the Coalition should be on the table if the junior Coalition partner won’t accept a compromise that retains net zero emissions in some form.

The Coalition has been plunged into fresh climate policy chaos after the Nationals’ decision to walk away from the net zero emissions target.

Ley and senior Liberals have for weeks been canvassing a raft of possible compromises, including retaining a commitment to net zero emissions but dropping the 2050 deadline, that could appeal across the Coalition.

But after the Nationals’ decision on Sunday, which one MP said “altered the landscape” of the net zero debate, senior Liberal conservatives are pushing for their party to adopt the same position to keep the Coalition together.

Senior conservatives Angus Taylor, Michaelia Cash, Jonno Duniam and James Paterson advocated for the Liberals to drop their support for net zero emissions entirely at two meetings of Ley’s leadership team on Sunday night and Monday morning.

James McGrath also advocated dumping the target, according to Liberal sources.

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The South Australian senator Anne Ruston was the only member of the leadership team to speak in favour of net zero emissions, reportedly complaining that the Nationals had again put a “gun” to the head of her party by announcing a position before the Liberals settled theirs.

Liberal sources said plans were under way to hold a special meeting in the next fortnight to settle a policy position, which MPs now expect will result in the party agreeing to dump net zero emissions.

While that outcome might appease the Nationals, it would infuriate moderate Liberals MPs who are open to breaking up the Coalition if net zero emissions wasn’t retained in some form.

A senior Liberal source said if the Nationals wouldn’t agree to even a watered-down commitment to net zero emissions then “we have to walk away”.

“We cannot indulge this any more,” the source said.

The two parties had a brief post-election breakup after the Liberals refused to immediately adopt several Nationals policies, including on nuclear energy.

One moderate Liberal said the net zero emissions debate was now a threat to the future of the Coalition.

However, the MP said a “restraining factor” for Liberals wanting to retain a firm net zero emissions position was concern it could destabilise Ley’s leadership.

In brief comments outside a charity event, Ley downplayed the Nationals’ decision, saying it was not unexpected and that Coalition processes would continue to determine a joint Liberal-National position.

“I always said that the Nationals would come to their decision in their party room and the Liberals would similarly come to our decision in our party room. But our joint energy working group has done an incredibly sound job up until this point in time, it’s continuing, and we can look forward to a Liberal party energy position and then coming together as a Coalition,” Ley said.

The Liberal frontbencher Andrew Bragg on Monday morning said net zero emissions must be retained in “some form” and was confident the Coalition could agree such a position.

The Western Australian Liberal senator Dean Smith implored his colleagues to keep the focus on Labor on Monday, insisting voters wanted the government to be held accountable on power prices.

“We are about to enter the summer. Electricity prices are at the core of refrigeration and cooling. I think Australians are going to feel first-hand the high cost of Labor’s energy policies.

“The key point of focus here is Labor’s failings on energy policy that are driving up costs for families, that are driving up costs for businesses and, as we’ve seen unfortunately, driving significant industrial enterprises out of business.”

Smith said he was a “strong coalitionist”, and did not support calls for another split of the Liberals and Nationals.

The Victorian Sarah Henderson said the Liberal party should support the Nationals’ position opposing net zero emissions.

“Electricity prices are skyrocketing, emissions are flatlining, and that’s why I believe that we will get to a position where we will work together to reject Labor’s net zero laws,” she said.