Progressing our Climate Change Action Plan

The EPA is committed to strengthening its regulatory response on climate change and is proud to share an update on the steps taken so far. The release of our Climate Change Policy and Action Plan this year was the culmination of a great deal of work, and a true highlight for us in 2023.

In the first 10 months of implementation, we have achieved some important foundational work that will enable us to transform the way NSW industries plan for climate change and take practical and feasible steps to reduce their emissions.

We conducted a survey of more than 2,000 environment protection licensees, hearing from them about the actions they are already taking to combat climate change and the challenges they will face in the future.

We’re issuing interim climate change assessment requirements for large emitting projects and are close to finalising climate change assessment requirements and guidance to ensure greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks are identified and addressed in the NSW planning system as part of the development consent and other planning processes.

We’re developing a protection of the environment policy to reduce embodied emissions in public infrastructure and promote the use of recycled materials in infrastructure projects.

We’re partnering with organisations, councils and businesses to reduce emissions, including actions to deliver net zero emissions from food and garden organics by 2030, supporting a circular economy, and improving technologies and data to support industries to estimate and manage their greenhouse gas emissions.

We’re collaborating with universities and researchers to test and trial innovations to improve the evidence base and help industry more effectively measure, estimate and manage fugitive methane emissions.

We’re setting up Climate Change Advisory Groups for industries like mining and agriculture to ensure representatives from industry, the community and independent experts can inform how our regulated community can reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate. We are also engaging with Aboriginal knowledge holders and our youth advisory committee to ensure their knowledge and voices are guiding our evolving regulatory response to climate change.

We are working closely with other state government agencies and other EPAs in Australia and New Zealand, seeking to ensure our actions align with and complement national initiatives like the Safeguard Mechanism.

We are building strong foundations to ensure we can regulate greenhouse gases like any other pollutant, and support the decarbonisation, transformation and growth of the NSW economy. NSW is the first state in Australia to have a comprehensive regulatory approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, and we’re incredibly proud to lead this work.

Please read more about our individual actions at Progress with our Climate Change Action Plan.