Climate change and NSW: overview
Learn how the NSW Government is responding to climate change in the context of Australian and international action and how we are strengthening our approaches.
We have a critical role in protecting the environment from the threat of climate change, and in supporting the community to meet the NSW Government’s Net Zero commitments.
Context
The build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere since the beginning of the industrial age is causing our climate to change with potentially serious consequences. These changes are now being acutely felt. Learn more about the climate change threat.
Combatting climate change requires a coordinated, multi-level government and agency response. The primary architecture governing this effort internationally is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. Australia is a party to both.
The NSW Government has endorsed the Paris Agreement and is taking decisive and responsible action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to secure the state’s long-term economic prosperity for decades to come and to prepare NSW to manage the impacts of a changing climate. See NSW Climate and Energy Action website.
The NSW Government has legislated whole-of-government climate action in the Climate Change (Net Zero Future) Act 2023. This legislation signals our commitment to a resilient, net zero future and sets out a clear path to deliver net zero by 2050.
The NSW Climate Change Policy Framework sets out the NSW Government’s long-term goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and how it will make NSW more resilient and adapted to a changing climate.
The Net Zero Plan is the foundation for NSW’s action on climate change. Stage 1 of the plan (2020-2030) outlines the NSW Government’s plan to grow the economy, create jobs and reduce emissions over the next decade. The Plan is funded by a landmark $2 billion agreement between the NSW and Commonwealth Governments to reduce emissions and improve the reliability and affordability of electricity in NSW.
The Net Zero Plan Implementation Update 2022 provides an update on the policies and programs that will help achieve the NSW Government's target to reduce emissions by 70% by 2035, compared to 2005 levels.
The latest available data on past and projected future greenhouse gas emissions for NSW can be accessed on the NSW Net Zero Emissions Dashboard, through the NSW Government’s Sharing and Enabling Environmental Data (SEED) portal. The datasets and dashboard are updated annually.
In addition, through the Climate Change Fund, the NSW Government is investing $1.4 billion between 2017 and 2022 in energy efficiency, clean energy, adaptation and resilience.
The NSW Climate Change Adaptation Strategy sets out the NSW Government’s strategic approach for managing the impacts of climate change on the State.
The NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 sets out how NSW will transition to a circular economy over the next 20 years; including key reforms for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from materials (embedded carbon) and the waste sector.
We have released a Climate Change Policy and Action Plan 2023–26. The policy and action plan adopts, supports and builds on the strong foundations that have been set by the NSW Government.
United Nations
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Paris Agreement
- Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
- Pursuing efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C
- Goal of net zero emissions globally by 2050
Learn more at UN Climate Change
Australia
- Commonwealth Government – committed to the Paris Agreement
- Greenhouse gas emission reduction goals
- Reduce emissions by 43 percent below 2005 levels by 2030
- Net zero by 2050
- Greenhouse gas emission reduction goals
- Develops national climate change policies and programs
- Australia's Long-Term Emissions Reduction Plan – a whole of economy plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050
- National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) scheme
- Safeguard Mechanism – requires Australia’s largest greenhouse gas emitters to keep their net emissions below an emissions limit (a baseline)
- Clean Energy Finance Corporation – finances clean energy projects
- Emissions Reduction Fund – funding for new practices and technologies to reduce emissions and store carbon
Learn more at Australian Government
NSW
- NSW Government – endorses the Paris Agreement
- Develops whole-of-government policies, strategies and programs for NSW; complements global and national action
- Greenhouse gas emission reduction goals:
- 50% reduction by 2030, compared to 2005 levels
- 70% reduction by 2035, compared to 2005 levels
- Net zero by 2050
- Committed to making NSW more resilient and adapted to a changing climate
- Greenhouse gas emission reduction goals:
- Key NSW Government policies, strategies and initiatives include:
- NSW Climate Change Policy Framework
- Net Zero Plan Stage 1: 2020-2030
- Net Zero Plan Stage 1: 2020-2030 Implementation Update
- Net Zero Plan Implementation Update 2022
- Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board
- Climate Change Fund
- NSW Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
- NSW Electricity Strategy
- Energy Security Safeguard
- Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap
- NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy
- NSW Electric Vehicles Strategy
- NSW Hydrogen Strategy
- Coal Innovation NSW Fund
- Primary Industries Productivity and Abatement Program
- Sustainable Farming Program
- Lead Agency: Office of Energy and Climate Change (NSW Treasury)
- NSW EPA – active government partner on climate change, policy, regulation and innovation
Learn more at: