Fix Our Environment Laws, protect our climate

The Albanese government is updating our outdated environment laws that in their lifetime have approved over 740 coal and gas projects. We have an opportunity to influence this process and make sure climate change is a key consideration of all the projects that come across the minister’s desk.

Sign the petition

Our laws are broken

Right now, our national environment laws are out of line with the warming climate we’re all witnessing. Bushfires, floods and heatwaves harm people and the places we love. Since its inception, consecutive Environment Ministers have approved 740 fossil fuel projects – coal and gas projects that fuel the climate crisis and put communities at risk.

Under the laws, the Minister for the Environment doesn’t even have to think about climate change, and there’s limited ability for communities to challenge their decision. In a recent court challenge, the Federal Court confirmed that it’s up to the government to amend our environment laws to ensure Environment Ministers consider the climate harm of new coal and gas projects.

Environment laws that allow the expansion of new coal and gas do not protect the environment. They protect the mining lobby. Laws that do not protect the environment, communities or species from the climate impacts of new coal and gas projects are useless in stopping the extinction crisis of Australian wildlife and protecting frontline communities and environments like the Great Barrier Reef from worse climate change

 

How do we fix them?

Climate impacts are the number one threat to Australia’s environment, threatened species and communities. The Albanese Government and Minister Plibersek must take this chance to bring Australia’s environment laws in line with climate science. Any reforms to our environment laws must stop new coal and gas approvals from fuelling worse bushfires, heatwaves, droughts, floods and storms that threaten Australia’s communities, environments and wildlife.

Here’s our asks:

  1. Implementation of a climate trigger that would automatically refer projects based on life cycle emissions limit eg within the Safeguard Mechanism limits
  2. Proponents must be required to disclose all emissions caused by a new or expanded project, including end use emissions
  3. A new overarching objective to prevent the causes of climate change and to respond to climate change impacts on Australia’s environment
  4. Provisions to ensure alignment with the emissions reduction targets set under the Climate Change Act 2022 (CC Act) and international commitments under the Paris Agreement
  5. Assess the impact of climate change on Matters of National Environmental Significance
  6. Apply all of the above to projects already under consideration

What you can do about it

The government hasn’t ruled out including a climate trigger in the EPBC reforms, so there’s still an opportunity for us to influence the negotiations.

Together we can demonstrate that we all want Australia’s beautiful places and species to be protected for future generations by demanding the Albanese government fix our laws to consider climate change. 

Right now, there

Here’s 3 things you can do to fix our environment laws:

  1. Sign the petition below – we’ll deliver this to Tanya Plibersek!
  2. Make a submission to the Senate inquiry and make the case for climate considerations
  3. Drop in to your MP’s office to deliver our letter of demands.

Tell me more about our new national environment laws

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act was designed by the Howard government, but since it come into effect has done little to protect our environment. Under the law, all sorts of new projects and developments must go through an environmental approval process. This is to assess their impact and make sure they won’t negatively affect our cherished landscapes, unique wildlife and cultural heritage.

But to date, the Act has approved 740 coal and gas projects and rejected just 1. There is no scope in the Act to consider the impact a project will have on climate change and does not account for emissions burnt offshore.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is rewriting our national environment laws by reforming the EPBC Act, but in April this year, announced that she’s delaying the full reforms, at a time when nature and our climate can least afford it. The Government will table the addition of Environmental Information Australia and an Environmental Protection Agency to the law but without meaningful updates to the rest of the legislation, these two agencies are powerless.

 

Sign the Petition: Ask Minister Plibersek to urgently fix our environment laws

Dear Minister Plibersek,

Thank you for committing to national environmental law reforms.

As you know, the current laws do not cover all fossil fuel projects, despite their significant impact on the environment.

To fix our laws, we call on you to include:

  1. End all coal and gas approvals – there is no room for more fossil fuel projects in a safe climate;
  2. Climate impacts must be fully and explicitly integrated into environmental decision making. All projects seeking approval must also disclose their Scope 3 emissions for assessment;
  3. Our new nature laws must truly value and incorporate the rights, knowledge and culture of First Nations people;
  4. Provide upfront protection for irreplaceable habitat by deeming clearing of habitats that are critical to the survival of listed species and ecological communities defined in Recovery Plans or Conservation Advices as an unacceptable impact;

We look forward to new national environment laws that will end new coal and gas to protect our climate for generations to come.

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